U.S. imports of Cigarettes Containing Tobacco (SITC 12220) totaled $67.5M in August 2026, imported from 29 countries.
Importers of Cigarettes Containing Tobacco paid $9.3M in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 18.60% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Cigarettes Containing Tobacco imports of $67.5M in August 2026 ran 13% above the year-to-date monthly average of $59.5M.
Last updated: August 2026 dataManufactured cigarettes containing tobacco are among the most tightly regulated imported consumer goods, subject to concurrent oversight by FDA's Center for Tobacco Products — including premarket authorization for any product not commercially marketed in the US before the statutory predicate date — and TTB federal excise tax collection. Cigarette imports must also comply with the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act reporting requirements when sold through certain channels. The combination of high excise tax rates, FDA premarket review, and strict labeling mandates makes this one of the more compliance-intensive categories in the manufactured tobacco trade.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
1.8K import shipments a month
Under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, cigarettes not commercially marketed in the US before February 15, 2007 require FDA premarket authorization — either a Premarket Tobacco Application (PMTA) or a Substantial Equivalence (SE) order — before they can be legally imported and sold. Importers introducing new cigarette products or new variants of existing products must confirm that the appropriate FDA authorization is in place prior to entry.
The Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act imposes registration, reporting, and tax-collection obligations on sellers and shippers of cigarettes, particularly those sold through mail-order or online channels. Importers who distribute through non-traditional retail channels should assess their PACT Act obligations carefully, as violations can result in significant civil and criminal penalties.
Basic heading 10 of 21 in section 1
Basic heading 12220 · $67.5M of $2.5B
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Imports · August 2026
origin
Mexico and Dominican Republic together supply 64% of it.
customs district
Census does not publish district detail for this classification system.
destination
Census does not publish state detail for this classification system.
entry
Census does not publish port detail for this classification system.
ImportsExports
Imports
$67.5MYoY · free account
Exports
$45.4MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $669.0M of Cigarettes Containing Tobacco and exported $449.8M.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.