According to the Cigar Association of America (CAA) Annual Report, the United States imported 8.453 billion cigars in 2024 –including both hand-rolled and machine-made varieties. Far from shrinking, this market –one of the largest in the world– has shifted toward premium cigars, solidifying high-end consumption as a lasting trend.
Read in the magazine (rotate your device for a better reading experience):
A clear indicator is the average price per thousand cigars, which rose from $58 in 2023 to $148 in 2024, marking a 155% increase. Notably, 284 million cigars from the economy segment were no longer imported, while one of the highest-tier categories grew by 141 million units.
Premium (long filler) cigar imports grew by 0.9%, reaching 430 million units. Nicaragua remains the leader in this segment, supplying 253 million cigars –58.8% of the total– and showing an increase of 6.8 million (2.8%) compared to 2023.
The Dominican Republic follows, exporting 106 million cigars (24.6% of the total), though this reflects a decrease of 1.9 million (1.8%) from the previous year. The report notes that total value figures are unavailable for the Dominican Republic, so estimates are based solely on unit volume.
Honduras reduced its exports from 69.6 million to 67.3 million cigars, while Costa Rica saw an increase from 1.7 million to 2.4 million. The Philippines surged to nearly 1 million units, up from just 500,000 in 2023. Meanwhile, Mexico, Panama, and the Bahamas remain in the “thousands” category.
Among countries with significant export declines, the Bahamas contracted by 44.4%, and Mexico dropped by 38.9%, equivalent to 58,000 fewer cigars.
The King of Small Cigars
A revealing statistic is that the U.S. doubled its imports of small Honduran cigars, jumping from 97 million to 193 million units. “This surge was driven by a sharp increase in Honduran production of 100% tobacco, machine-made cigars –a new advancement in the premium small cigar segment.”
Honduras did not report exports in this category until 2022, making its 2024 boom particularly noteworthy. While these so-called “cigarritos” still only represent 2.2% of total U.S. cigar imports, “this growth signals evolving manufacturing strategies and a potential shift in consumer demand toward niche products.”
Quality Over Quantity
The study concludes that premium cigars have solidified their position as a robust and reliable market segment, demonstrating enduring demand and strategic value for growers, producers, wholesalers, and retailers.
“Looking ahead to 2025, the industry anticipates a more selective import landscape –one that is intentional and clearly focused on long-term value. While overall volume has decreased, the emphasis on premium quality, strategy, and market presence remains strong.”
The full report is available at: https://cigarsusa.org/
 Annual Report, the market has shifted toward premium cigars.){kind=link}