JT International (JTI) and its strategic partner Eastern Company (EC) have signed a contract manufacturing agreement (CMA) allowing JTI to enter the Egyptian cigarette market.

JTI will launch its leading brand Winston in three styles Winston Classic, Winston Blue, and Winston Silver in the market.

The contract was signed by Eastern Company’s chairman Nabil Abd El-Aziz, and by JTI’s Eddy Pirard, executive vice president for business development, and Yasuhiro Nakajima, vice president corporate strategy at EC headquarter, said a statement.

The business partnership with EC, the largest tobacco company in the Middle East and Africa producing more than 80 billion cigarettes annually, is particularly significant and JTI is confident that EC has the experience and capabilities to manufacture JTI brands for the Egyptian market according to the highest quality standards, it said.

“This agreement will pave the way for a strong and long-term strategic partnership with Eastern Company. JTI aspires to win the confidence of Egyptian consumers in this highly competitive and promising market,” said chairman of JTI companies in Egypt Ayman El-Abbassi.

JTI, a member of the Japan Tobacco Group of Companies, is a leading international tobacco manufacturer. It markets world-renowned brands such as Camel, Winston, and Mevius (Mild Seven). Other global brands include Silk Cut, Sobranie, Glamour, and LD.

With headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and about 27,000 employees worldwide, JTI has operations in more than 120 countries. In Egypt, JTI is the main shareholder of the shisha manufacturer Nakhla Tobacco Company.  -TradeArabia News Service