Philip Morris Reaches Agreement to Continue Cigarette Production in Ukraine

Aug.04.2022
Philip Morris Reaches Agreement to Continue Cigarette Production in Ukraine
Fimo International will start producing cigarettes at the Imperial Tobacco factory in Kiev, allowing Philip Morris to maintain supply to clients.

According to reports from Ukraine's international news agency, Fimo International has reached an agreement with Imperial Tobacco to begin cigarette production at Imperial Tobacco's factory in Kiev this month.


This arrangement permits Philip Morris to continue supplying cigarettes to customers. Production at its Kharkiv factory had been suspended since the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, resulting in some cigarettes remaining unused due to difficulties with exporting.


Maksym Barabash, the Managing Director of Philip Morris International Ukraine, stated that since the onset of the conflict, they have been looking for alternative solutions to ensure the supply of their products. Barabash expressed delight in finding a mutually beneficial solution whereby Imperial Tobacco will produce products according to PMI's high-quality standards. This is a temporary measure for PMI, and they hope to resume production at their Kharkiv plant once worker safety is guaranteed.


Head of Ukraine's Imperial Tobacco Commission, Halyna Vorobyova, stated that "Kyiv's Imperial Tobacco factory has tremendous production potential and a strong professional team, which can ensure the production of more products." She added that "since the start of the war, our company has been unable to make export deliveries; therefore, the agreement with Philip Morris will allow us to utilize our production capacity.


Before the war, Philip Morris employed approximately 1,300 people. Its factory in Kharkov exports cigarettes to over 20 countries, including major markets like Japan and Egypt.


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