Still, growth in 2020 slowed compared with the 12% rate reported in 2019.
The company, which is the largest in the local fast moving consumer goods and tobacco industries, reported a net profit of RON138 million in 2020, up 28% on the year.
BAT is the leading tobacco company in Romania with over 50% market share.
The local cigarette market was estimated in 2019 at RON21 billion, from an estimated 4-5 million smokers. In 2019, BAT reported a consolidated turnover of RON11.5 billion for British American Tobacco Trading, British American Tobacco Investment and British American Shared Services Europe.
BAT entered the Romanian market in 1994 and has been producing cigarettes in a factory in Ploiesti since 1997. The production unit is operated by British American Tobacco Romania Investment and it is currently the group’s second largest in Europe.
BAT officials said the company was the biggest contributor to the state budget in 2020, paying RON9.65 billion in taxes.