China National Tobacco Corporation, branded as China Tobacco , is a national key state-owned corporation with chartered monopoly status in China to manufacture and sell tobacco products.
The State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA; ) is a Chinese government agency responsible for national tobacco monopoly regulation. Under the policy of one institution with two names, the two agencies are co-located in the same office and share the same website.[1]
China Tobacco enjoys a legal monopoly in the country,[2] accounting for 96% of cigarette sales in the country, and is the world's largest manufacturer of tobacco products by revenue.[3]
History
In 1981, Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping established the China National Tobacco Corporation in order to modernize the previously fragmented tobacco market. In 1983, the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration was also established.[4]