Tobacco in Tunisia
Euromonitor International's Tobacco in Tunisia market report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market - be they new product developments, packaging innovations, economic/lifestyle influences, distribution or pricing issues. Forecasts illustrate how the market is set to change.
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Tables: 46 | Publication date: Jun 2007
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Executive summary
Tunisian tobacco is one of the few remaining tobacco monopolies in the world
The first cultivated tobacco plant arrived in the north of Tunisia from Europe in 1830. Since then, the tobacco market has remained a monopoly operated by the government under Régie Nationale des Tabacs et des Allumettes (RNTA). The Tunisian tobacco market consists of the production and distribution of cigarettes, pipe tobacco (shisha tobacco) and cigars, as well as wooden matches, lighters and playing cards.
Cigarettes continues to grow despite anti-smoking campaigns
Since 2000, Tunisia has seen a large movement in campaigns from the Ministry for Public Health and the Association Tunisien de Lutte Contre le Cancer (ATCC) about the health risks and damage caused by tobacco consumption. Despite this, the cigarette market maintained growth during the review period. The strongest performance was for low tar cigarettes, resulting from public awareness of the damages caused by cigarettes and high tars, and a general increase in demand for high-quality products in Tunisia. The fact that all low tar cigarettes in Tunisia are foreign brands led to rapid volume growth during the review period, and this is expected to continue during the forecast period.
Other tobacco products
RNTA produces cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, pipe tobacco (so-called shisha tobacco), and powder tobacco. Of these, cigarettes accounts for the highest production and consumption. Shisha tobacco was originally produced in small volumes in Tunisia through subcontracting. In 2003, the door was finally opened for private investors to solely produce for RNTA’s shisha tobacco activities, in order to cover the average annual local consumption need. Powder tobacco also saw volume and value growth during the review period.
Quality packaging and tar levels have a major influence on volume and value sales
The Tunisian tobacco market regulates the amount of tar used in cigarettes. Only five local brands are present in high tar cigarettes. No low tar or ultra low tar level cigarettes are produced in Tunisia. Any brand available with these tar levels is imported. Merit Ultra Light is the only ultra low tar cigarette brand available in the country. As public awareness of the health risks associated with tar and nicotine grows, the need for low tar local brand cigarettes in the country rises. Many locals would be willing to change to lower tar levels if the brands were as affordable as higher tar local brands.
Cigarettes is dominated by local brands with reasonable pricing
Tunisian cigarettes is dominated by local brands with reasonable pricing. Local cigarette pricing and brands are available to cover the needs of different consumer class levels. The lowest-priced cigarettes brand is El Jaiech, which is translated as “military” (since it is only distributed and sold on military bases). Bousetta and Kawakeb brands sell at retail prices of TND 0.4 and TND0.65, respectively. Both brands comprise lower-quality cigarettes, with high tar content and packed in paper packs. They are recognised by locals as brands smoked by lower-salaried labourers. 20 Mars International and 20 Mars International Legeres are mid-priced brands, which are more popular with locals and some of the tourists travelling in Tunisia.
Tobacco pricing increases regulated by state
In order to regulate prices, Tunisian legislation introduced the Law No. 91-64 of 20 July 1991, stipulating that property and service pricing is freely determined by competition factors. The law excludes products considered to be basic necessities, where pricing is first approved by the state, as well as services provided by state monopolies, or activities characterised as lacking competition. Tobacco falls in the category where prices must be approved by the state before any increases.
Table of contents
TOBACCO IN TUNISIA : MARKET INSIGHT
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Tunisian tobacco is one of the few remaining tobacco monopolies in the world
Cigarettes continues to grow despite anti-smoking campaigns
Other tobacco products
Quality packaging and tar levels have a major influence on volume and value sales
Cigarettes is dominated by local brands with reasonable pricing
Tobacco pricing increases regulated by state
KEY TRENDS AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Smoking Population
Death by Cause
Legislation
Legislation: Tar
Health warnings
Duty paid packet marks
Advertising & Sponsorship
Smoking in public places
Litigation
Taxation and Duty Levies
Table 1 Taxation and Duty Levies
Contraband (Cigarettes)
Production/Imports/Exports
Table 2 Trade Statistics – Cigarettes
The Role and Effect of Cannabis/Marijuana
Cigarettes: Price Bands
Cigarettes: Filter Splits
Cigarettes: Pack Splits
Powder tobacco sees growth
MARKET INDICATORS
Table 3 Number of Smokers by Gender 2000-2005
Table 4 Contraband Cigarettes Penetration Estimate 2000-2005
MARKET DATA
Table 5 Retail Sales of Tobacco by Sector: Value 2000-2005
Table 6 Retail Sales of Tobacco by Sector: Volume 2000-2005
Table 7 Retail Sales of Tobacco by Sector: % Value Growth 2000-2005
Table 8 Retail Sales of Tobacco by Sector: % Volume Growth 2000-2005
Table 9 Retail Sales of Cigarettes by Distribution Format: % Analysis 2000/2005
Table 10 Forecast Retail Sales of Tobacco by Sector: Volume 2005-2010
Table 11 Forecast Retail Sales of Tobacco by Sector: Value 2005-2010
Table 12 Forecast Retail Sales of Tobacco by Sector: % Volume Growth 2005-2010
Table 13 Forecast Retail Sales of Tobacco by Sector: % Value Growth 2005-2010
CIGARETTES
Headlines
Trends
Competitive Landscape
Prospects
SECTOR DATA
Table 14 Retail Sales of Cigarettes by Tar Level: Volume 2000-2005
Table 15 Retail Sales of Cigarettes by Tar Level: Value 2000-2005
Table 16 Retail Sales of Cigarettes by Tar Level: % Volume Growth 2000-2005
Table 17 Retail Sales of Cigarettes by Tar Level: % Value Growth 2000-2005
Table 18 Cigarettes Company Shares 2001-2005
Table 19 Cigarettes Brand Shares 2002-2005
Table 20 Forecast Retail Sales of Cigarettes by Tar Level: Volume 2005-2010
Table 21 Forecast Retail Sales of Cigarettes by Tar Level: Value 2005-2010
Table 22 Forecast Retail Sales of Cigarettes by Tar Level: % Volume Growth 2005-2010
Table 23 Forecast Retail Sales of Cigarettes by Tar Level: % Value Growth 2005-2010
Table 24 Retail Sales of Cigarettes by Price Band: %Volume Breakdown 2000-2005
Table 25 Forecast Retail Sales of Cigarettes by Price Band: %Volume Breakdown 2005-2010
Table 26 Retail Sales of Cigarettes by Standard/Menthol: %Volume Breakdown 2000-2005
Table 27 Forecast Retail Sales of Cigarettes by Standard/Menthol: %Volume Breakdown 2005-2010
Table 28 Retail Sales of Cigarettes by Tobacco Type: %Volume Breakdown 2000-2005
Table 29 Forecast Retail Sales of Cigarettes by Tobacco Type: %Volume Breakdown 2005-2010
Table 30 Retail Sales of Cigarettes by Filter Vs Non-filter 2000-2005
Table 31 Retail Sales of Filter Cigarettes by Carbon Vs Non-carbon 2000-2005
Table 32 Retail Sales of Cigarettes by Length 2000-2005
Table 33 Retail Sales of Cigarettes by Pack Size 2000-2005
Table 34 Retail Sales of Cigarettes by Pack Ttype 2000-2005
CIGARS
Headlines
Trends
Competitive Landscape
Prospects
SMOKING TOBACCO
Headlines
Trends
Competitive Landscape
Prospects
SECTOR DATA
Table 35 Retail Sales of Smoking Tobacco by Subsector: Value 2000-2005
Table 36 Retail Sales of Smoking Tobacco by Subsector: Volume 2000-2005
Table 37 Retail Sales of Smoking Tobacco by Subsector: % Value Growth 2000-2005
Table 38 Retail Sales of Smoking Tobacco by Subsector: % Volume Growth 2000-2005
Table 39 Retail Company Shares of Pipe Tobacco 2001-2005
Table 40 Retail Brand Shares of Pipe Tobacco 2002-2005
Table 41 Forecast Retail Sales of Smoking Tobacco by Subsector: Value 2005-2010
Table 42 Forecast Retail Sales of Smoking Tobacco by Subsector: Volume 2005-2010
Table 43 Forecast Retail Sales of Smoking Tobacco by Subsector: % Value Growth 2005-2010
Table 44 Forecast Retail Sales of Smoking Tobacco by Subsector: % Volume Growth 2005-2010
LA RÉGIE NATIONALE DES TABACS ET DES ALLUMETTES (RNTA)
Strategic Direction
Key Facts
Summary 1 La Régie Nationale des Tabacs et des Allumettes: Key Facts
Summary 2 La Régie Nationale des Tabacs et des Allumettes: Operational Indicators
Company Background
Production by Factory
Competitive Positioning
DEFINITIONS