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10.5 Major importers operating in the Australian market

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Apart from the three major companies listed in the preceding section, a small number of companies operate within Australia as distributors of imported cigarettes and other tobacco products, and smokers' requisites such as cigarette papers and filters for roll-your-own users.

10.5.1 Stuart Alexander Pty Ltd

Stuart Alexander is an importer, marketer and distributor for tobacco products as well as a range of packaged food products.37

Table 10.13
Products and brands imported by Stuart Alexander for sale in the Australian market, 2007

RYO tobacco

Old Holborn

Pipe tobacco

Irish Cake, Mac Baren

Cigars

Backwoods, Bering, Hav-a-tampa, Henri Wintermans, Henry Clay, King Edward, Old Port, Phillies, Santa Damiana

Source: The NSW Retail Tobacco Traders' Association.33

10.5.2 Swedish Match Australia Pty Ltd

Swedish Match Australia is the Australian operating division of the Stockholm-based, publicly listed company, Swedish Match. Swedish Match is engaged in the manufacture and distribution of moist snuff (snus), cigars, pipe and chewing tobacco, matches and lighters. Swedish Match operates production facilities in 11 countries, and is active in more than 100 countries. It is the largest producer of snus in Scandanavia, and is market leader for chewing tobacco products in the USA.38

Swedish Match Australia concentrates its efforts in the cigar market (Table 10.14).33

Table 10.14
Products and brands imported by Swedish Match for sale in the Australian market, 2007

Cigarettes

Davidoff, Djarum (Indonesian kreteks)

Pipe tobacco

Borkum Riff, Erinmore

Cigars

Alternativos, Arturo Fuente, Ashton, Aurora, Avo, Cuesta-Rey, Dannemann, Delicias, Diamond Crown, Don Sebastian, Dunhill, Excalibur, La Flor Dominicana, La Paz, La Regenta,
La Unica, Leon Jimenes, Macanudo, Puros Indios, Real A L Pedro, Rigoletto, Ritmeester, Sosa, St Luis Rey, Tabacalera, Tatiana, Tiparillo, Tueros, Villiger, White Owl, Willem II, Zino

Source: The NSW Retail Tobacco Traders' Association.33

10.5.3 Other importers of tobacco products into Australia

Several other businesses import cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products into Australia. These include standard American and European cigarettes, as well as
kreteks, flavoured cigarettes from Hong Kong and Chinese brands from the Shanghai Cigarette Factory.11, 33 Chinese brands in particular sell more cheaply in Australia than many other brands, so appeal to the value end of the market as well as to expatriate Chinese smokers.11

At least two Australian distributors, Alexanders Cigar Merchants39 and Cigarworld Australia,40 operate their own specialist retail outlets which sell cigars as well as other tobacco related paraphernalia and giftware. Alexanders Cigar Merchants also distributes Cigar Aficionado publications.

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