Turkey's cigarette exports are expected to rise about a fifth to 18.5 bn in 2003, compared with 15.3 bn in 2002. A combination of rising cigarette exports and a rebound for exports of oriental leaf tobacco may lift the combined value for Turkey's exports of tobacco and products to a range of $600 mn. The value for all exports of tobacco items fell from $682.7 mn in 1997 to a low of $435.6 mn in 2001. Most of Turkey's cigarette exports are destined for smokers in Iran, Iraq, and the Arabian Peninsula. Problems with the lack of convenient convertibility of the Iranian rial and Iraqi dinar cause Turkey's traders to seek arrangements through countries with efficient banking systems. United Arab Emirates and Belgium are two countries where traders buy Turkish cigarettes and pay in convertible currency. Then the cigarettes are put into a pipeline which helps to provide the array of brands displayed in the bazaars and stores of Iran and Iraq.
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