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• Rampant cigarette smuggling costs Vietnam $186 mln annually 

Tobacco smuggling is on the increase and costs Vietnam between US$155 million and $186 million a year in tax, a meeting on Friday in Ho Chi Minh City heard.

At the meeting, the Vietnam Tobacco Association and relevant agencies reviewed the fight against cigarette smuggling and discussed measures to intensify crackdowns.

Illegal imports of tobacco and cigarettes mainly through land borders with Laos and Cambodia were steadily increasing, according to figures from market research firm ACNielsen and the central steering committee responsible for combating contraband, fake goods, and trade fraud.

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