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STMA Issues Catalogue of Top 100 Chinese Cigarette Brands Source from: Hangzhou Cigarette Factory 09/10/2004 ![]() The State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) has recently issued the Catalogue of Top 100 Chinese Cigarette Brands, in an effort to reduce the existing number of cigarette brands and improve the structure of cigarette products in China.
[img border=0 hspace="4" vspace="4" align="left" src=http://www.tobaccochina.com/english/picture/030928pinghut.jpg]
In the ongoing fundamental reform of China's tobacco industry following the country's accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001, the existing number of cigarette brands in China has been reduced to some 500 from the level of 1,049 in 2001.
The STMA is taking steps to further reduce the existing number of cigarette brands to some 100 (excluding those of Grade Four and Grade Five cigarettes) over the next two or three years.
So far, a total of 121 cigarette brands of Chinese tobacco manufacturers have entered the catalogue.
The entry of any cigarette brand into the catalogue is subject to the examination and approval of the STMA on the basis of reviewing the applications concerned from Chinese provinces or provincial-level administrative regions.
In viewing applications, the STMA will give priority to the entry of cigarette brands of leading Chinese tobacco manufacturers producing high-quality tobacco products well received by consumers and generating high returns, in accordance with the market principle, the principle of efficiency, the principle of effective utilization of resources, the principle of rationality in regional distribution of tobacco manufacturing enterprises and the principle of rationality in the structure of tobacco products.
In the eastern province of Zhejiang, seven cigarette brands have entered the Catalogue of Top 100 Chinese Cigarette Brands. Hangzhou Cigarette Factory in Zhejiang, which is one of the 36 key Chinese tobacco manufacturers, has four entries into the catalogue – Liqun, the Xin'anjiang River, the Lion and the Western Lake.
According to Hangzhou Cigarette Factory, the four entries are of great significance to its strategy of developing competitive brands. Enditem
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