Retailers in Cyprus have been assured that the nation’s cigar shortage, particularly cigarillos, will soon come to an end. Phileleftheros reported that for the last month consumers were finding the most popular brands out of stock, leading them to purchase alternative brands, which led to depleted stocks across the board. Customers even resorted to calling stores in advance to reserve cigars and cigarillos.
This past year saw limited availability of cigars and cigarillos from Cuba, from which Cyprus imports more than half of its product. Cuban cigars account for €41 million of the €52 million of cigars Cyprus imports. A second factor in the shortage came from changes implemented by the European Union regarding the traceability of tobacco products. Starting in 2020, these changes were applied to cigarettes, and from last year, cigars and cigarillos were also included. According to the new regulations, the packaging of these products must feature a unique marking that must be scanned with every transaction.
However, both of these issues appear to have been resolved. Phileleftheros learned that large shipments of cigars and cigarillos have already been imported into Cyprus, and these products are expected to be back on the shelves beginning today (April 7).