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Tobacco: the government lifts the limit of one cartridge per person for European countries
Tobacco: the government lifts the limit of one cartridge per person for European countries
(franceinfo)
From Saturday March 30, the limitation on the number of tobacco cartridges from European Union countries is lifted. Smokers could only bring back one carton of cigarettes from their trip previously.
Bag in hand, a French couple has just crossed the border to buy cartridges in Spain. They bought someseven or eight“, they say. Just yesterday, this would have been impossible, the limit being set at one cartridge per person. The government removed this threshold this Saturday March 30 to comply with European law. It is now possible to buy as many cigarettes as you want, but only for personal consumption. Customs officers will carry out checks to prevent illegal resale.
“This is our death”
If this delights customers, it is bad news for French tobacconists. In February, the latter had already mobilized against foreign competition, which was much cheaper. Fifteen minutes from the Spanish border, some people still buy their cigarettes in France, but they are rare, the packs are twice as expensive as in Spain.”This is our death. We lost half of our customers, we went from 650 to 300 people per day“, deplores a French tobacconist. She would like a common tax on tobacco at the European level. A project is being considered, according to the government.
