Illicit tobacco trade drains billions in Ireland and the Philippines

In Ireland, an independent survey found that 38% of cigarettes and 45% of roll‑your‑own tobacco in circulation are illegal or untaxed, valuing the illicit market at €845 million and costing the government €645 million in lost taxes in 2025. Retailers Against Smuggling urged the government to freeze tobacco excise rates and oppose EU plans to equalise roll‑your‑own duties, blaming high legal prices for driving consumers to criminal networks.

In the Philippines, a joint EU‑ASEAN Business Council and Euromonitor study estimated a loss of P141 billion in government revenue over the past two years, with 86% of e‑vapes sold being illicit. Illicit e‑vape sales alone accounted for about P23 billion in lost taxes. The report highlighted regional smuggling hubs such as the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and warned that weak enforcement and bans without effective monitoring push consumers toward underground markets, threatening revenue, public health, and foreign investment.

Both reports call for stronger customs monitoring, intelligence sharing, and coordinated regional action to curb the growing illicit tobacco trade.