How many CCs in the US each year?

[Vitola Corleone]

Apologies if this is a rehash, I couldn't find it easily in a forum search (or online). But someone here must know. 

Approximately how many long filler CC's make it to the US each year? Or, what percentage of output? And how does that stack up with official destinations for HSA cigars? 

[Bijan]

Don't think there are any official stats. You could guesstimate it based on 3 stats:

1. Online sales

2. Duty free / travel sales

3. Brick and mortar sales

Category 1 being probably the biggest source of CCs to the US market. 2 being the next. And 3 being a distant third.

The percentage of each going to the US market is also not totally knowable but if 80% of sales are category 3 that would mean the US market is pretty small. If category 1 is now 80% for example then it could be very large.

[Habana Mike]

Authentic or fake?

[Vitola Corleone]

24 minutes ago, Habana Mike said:

Authentic or fake?

Good point, but I'd be interested in numbers on both. Rough, of course. I'd settle for an error of +/- 10 million. 

[El Presidente]

30% of production approximately 

[joeypots]

11 hours ago, El Presidente said:

30% of production approximately 

Does anyone know what % of Cuban rum production gets into the States?

[Derboesekoenig]

Not today BATFE! No idea what you're talking about 

[Vitola Corleone]

21 hours ago, El Presidente said:

30% of production approximately 

Interesting. So that is about 75 million cigars, give or take? 

I vaguely remember once reading that the US imports (offically) about 300 million premium cigars every year. Which obviously does not count the Cubans. So that would mean something like 1/5 of the US cigar market is Cuban. 

I wonder what Cuban imports in the US would be without the embargo. 

[El Presidente]

21 hours ago, Vitola Corleone said:

Interesting. So that is about 75 million cigars, give or take? 

 

I don't believe they produce more than 80 million hand rolled cigars a year total. 

The year after the GFC was the last time I saw a solid figure used and it was 63 Million from memory.  It wouldn't surprise me if that is about where they stand now. It certainly would help explain their supply situation. 

They talk big numbers. They lie a lot. 

 

[CHPSteve]

I’m not sure where El Pres is getting his figures, but I would have to concur. I would guess-timate between 1/3 and 1/2 of production. Americans (the United States variety) love to consume….especially the forbidden fruit!

[Vitola Corleone]

4 hours ago, El Presidente said:

I don't believe they produce more than 80 million hand rolled cigars a year total. 

The year after the GFC was the last time I saw a solid figure used and it was 63 Million from memory.  It wouldn't surprise me if that is about where they stand now. It certainly would help explain their supply situation. 

They talk big numbers. They lie a lot. 

OK that makes more sense. If the NC number 300 million is roughly accurate that means the US is more like ~7-8% CC's. Which is much more consistent with my experience of casual US smokers. It is not uncommon to find one who asks, "Have you ever smoked a cuban?" To which I reply, "Well there's this outfit in Australia..."