Philip Morris is preparing to resume cigarette exports from Ukraine.

Philip Morris Ukraine is considering whether to start the export of cigarettes manufactured at a newly built factory in the Lviv region, said the company’s CEO Maksym Barabash during a roundtable discussion on Ukraine’s economic recovery. According to him, the Philip Morris factory in Kharkiv, which was closed due to the war’s outbreak, produced 20 billion cigarettes annually, 50% of which were exported, including to Japan.

By launching a new $30M factory in the Lviv region, the company sees the potential to resume exports to geographically close countries. The new factory in the Lviv region opened in May 2024 and features five production lines that reached their planned capacity this year. Its production capacity is 10 billion cigarettes per year. This factory has become an important part of the company’s supply chain in Ukraine.

Philip Morris Ukraine has been active in the Ukrainian market since 1994 and has invested over $750M in the Ukrainian economy during this time.