Is Cigar Tobacco Grown in America?

[Amanda]

After reading about all the Central American countries that grow tobacco, I was wondering if any of the tobacco grown in America is used on cigars or if all domestic tobacco is used in cigarettes. Is there something about American soil that makes it less useful for cigar tobacco than our friends in Cuba and the Dominican Republic? It would seem that if we were less dependent on imported tobacco, our cigars would be cheaper.

[pierce652]

Connecticut is famous for our wrapper.

[bigpoppapuff]

amanda....first point...most tobaccos for cigars are grown in cuba,the D.R.,honduras and nicaragua...to a lesser extent...mexico,ecuador,panama,and brazil.....in the U.S.tobacco is grown in conn and to a lesser extent in PA....

climate,climate,climate....they have it, we don't...and if we did,do you honestly think we could grow it and harvest it for less than in the D.R.,honduras or nicaragua??...c'mon...think....

[MMAB]

One of the finiest wrappers available anywhere is grown in Connecticut, along the Connecticut River Valley. A very small area. The soil and climate produce a beautifully smooth and mild leaf.

You'll often see it mentioned in cigar descriptions as "Connecticut Leaf Wrapper".

I belive that it is the only worthy, yet highly prized offering we in the USA have to give the premium cigar industry.

[Drake]

may be a little off topic, but does anyone know of a full bodied cigar with a conn. shade wrapper? like with a stronger filler

[bigpoppapuff]

in recent years...some have experimented with a sun grown rather than shade grown conn...does add to the strength.....needless to say, it is conn seed tobacco..but grown in the much warmer climates...(i've seen it in the D.R. and honduras...)

[Amanda]

bigpoppapuff, I'm not sure how import duties affect cigar prices. Even after the recent Central American trade agreement, which will undoubtedly be bad business for various economic sectors, I don't know specifics on what level of tariffs are paid to get cigars from the Dominican Republic to the United States. If you or anybody else does, I'd love to know. If they tariffs are too high, then it would be cheaper to produce the cigars domestically. Certainly consumers of cigarettes are not better off now that Philip Morris and RJR are more dependent on imported tobacco for their product than they were 10 years ago.

[bigpoppapuff]

if you applied american labor to cigar making...your $5 cigars would be more than $100 ea...it can never happen...totally imposible...


this is why small cigar makers,such as la tradicion cubana,in miami,are opening small factories in the dom rep...

[Crickett]

From what I've heard, there are very few tariffs placed on tobacco from most of those areas. Those countries have zones which are duty free as long as the tobacco is grown for export, not for internal consumption (in the country).

Not to mention I believe that CAFTA would take care of any tariffs that were placed on exports from Central American countries.

bigpoppapuff, I'm not sure how import duties affect cigar prices. Even after the recent Central American trade agreement, which will undoubtedly be bad business for various economic sectors, I don't know specifics on what level of tariffs are paid to get cigars from the Dominican Republic to the United States. If you or anybody else does, I'd love to know. If they tariffs are too high, then it would be cheaper to produce the cigars domestically. Certainly consumers of cigarettes are not better off now that Philip Morris and RJR are more dependent on imported tobacco for their product than they were 10 years ago.