Los Angeles, February 27, 2009 – It’s true: premium cigar sales were down in 2008, but were still quite respectable by historical standards.

Figures released for December 2008 by the Cigar Association of America showed that for the year as a whole, premium cigar imports totaled 271.25 million, down 63.92 million or 19.1%. That’s a significant drop, but the 2008 figures can’t be directly compared to 2007 totals because new tariff regulations separate out some of the more expensive little cigar brands, so the 2007 figures include some unknown number of little cigars.

However, taken on face value, the 271.25 million figure still represents the ninth-highest import total ever for premium cigars and would have been a record as late as 1997. If you discount the two-year Cigar Boom frenzy of 1997-98, the 2008 total would have been a record as late as 2001!

Moreover, while 2008 was a dismal year for Dominican-made cigars, imports from Honduras and Nicaragua were both up over 2007.

To get all the highlights of the report, click here courtesy of CigarEncyclopedia

Humidor Vault

Popularity: 15% [?]