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PRESS RELEASE: 23.09.2009 Significant increase in travellers’ private imports of alcohol, slight decrease in cigarettesAccording to a TNS Gallup survey of travellers’ private imports, imports of alcoholic beverages during the January–August period of 2009 increased by 25 per cent (in terms of litres) on the corresponding period of 2008. This volume increase in imports of alcoholic beverages was fuelled by a rise of about 70 per cent in imports of long drinks, as well as an approximately 25 per cent increase in imports of beer, cider and intermediate products. During the January–August period, imports of wines rose by almost 20 per cent on the previous year. When translated into pure alcohol, travellers’ private imports of alcoholic beverages exhibited a much lower volume increase, that is, about 10 per cent. This is because private imports of strong alcoholic drinks did not increase during the first two-thirds of 2009 when compared to the corresponding period of 2008. Strong alcoholic drinks accounted for just over half, that is, 54 per cent, of travellers’ total private imports of alcohol. Beer accounted for 17 per cent and mild wines for just over 12 per cent. Ciders, long drinks and intermediate products accounted for 5, 7 and 5 per cent respectively. Although travellers’ private imports of alcohol began to decline from late 2005, they took an upswing at the beginning of 2008 – at the same time as alcohol taxation was increased in Finland. This growth continued during the January–August period of 2009 after the new rise in alcohol taxation in January 2009. Travellers continue to purchase most of their alcoholic beverages on ships or in Estonia. During the January–August period of 2009, passenger numbers to Estonia have remained at the same level as in the corresponding period of 2008. According to data collected by TNS Gallup, travellers imported 500 million cigarettes into Finland during the January–August period of 2009. Travellers’ private imports during the first two-thirds of 2009 fell by six per cent on the corresponding period of 2008. Data on the import of moist snuff has also been gathered since the beginning of 2009. Travellers imported about 3.5 million boxes of moist snuff during the January–August period. Private imports of alcoholic beverages into Finland
TNS
Gallup’s survey on travellers’ private imports of alcohol and cigarettes was
ordered by the National Supervisory Authority For Welfare and Health (VALVIRA) ,
the National Institute For Health and Welfare (THL) , the Ministry of Finance,
Alko Ltd , the Alcoholic Beverages Industries’ Association of the Finnish
Food and Drink Industries’ Federation , the Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks
Industry, the
Finnish Grocery Trade Association , the Finnish Tourism and Restaurant Industries
Federation (MaRa), the Finnish
Tobacco Industries’ Federation, and the Association of Finnish Alcoholic Beverage
Suppliers (SAJK) . Data is collected on a weekly basis by
conducting 500 telephone interviews. For more information, contact: Tero Kallio, Managing Director, The Federation of the Brewing and Soft
Drinks Industry, tel. +358 (0)9 1488 7407, +358 (0)40 7294513 Lennart Wahlfors, Head of Data Administration, VALVIRA, tel. +358 (0)9 3967 2717, +358 (0)50 324 9704 Esa Österberg, Senior Researcher, THL, tel. +358 (0)400 417
514 Irmeli Mustonen, Branch Manager, ETL, tel. +358 (0)400 817 221 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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