KYIV, Sept 24 – The growth of the heated tobacco products market in 2021 has stopped after its growth by 80% in 2020. In the future the market will decline due to an increase in the excise tax on heated tobacco products by 320% from January 1, 2021, Managing Director for Ukraine of international tobacco company Philip Morris Kostas Salvaras has told Interfax-Ukraine.

"In 2020, the heated tobacco products market, according to our estimates, grew by 80%, but after the excise tax was increased by 320% from January 1, 2021 and subsequently the price grew, this indicator first slowed down a lot, and then practically stopped. According to our data, retail prices on tobacco sticks since the beginning of the year [2021] have grown by an average of UAH 13. This is not enough to compensate for even half of the increase in excise duty," he said.