Massive cigarette deficit in Germany

A shortage of cigarette wrapping paper could hit smokers in Germany as some brands are hard to find in retail outlets, Bild newspaper reported on Friday.

According to the paper, one of the causes of the problem was the closure of a Philip Morris cigarette pack manufacturing plant in Ukraine. Earlier, the tobacco giant had suspended operations in the country, including at its Kharkov factory, which until recently produced a significant portion of the paper used in cigarette packs. The company owns popular cigarette brands such as Marlboro and L&M.

“Due to the tense situation on the world markets for raw materials and the shortage of cardboard packaging, bottlenecks can definitely occur [of cigarette packs]” a spokesman for Philip Morris told the newspaper. “We are continuously adapting our supply chains”, he added.

According to the German wholesalers surveyed by Bild, the deficit is particularly large for varieties of Marlboro cigarettes such as Red and Gold. It will be more difficult for smokers who prefer to buy cigarettes from machines where the Marlboro brand is almost completely sold out.