Main content

Cigarette Smuggling

Some 50 billion dollars of tobacco is smuggled worldwide annually. It's a cost to taxpayers and a health risk to consumers. But is high taxation itself the problem?

We look at the rising tide of global contraband - specifically, the smuggling of tobacco. It's estimated some 50 billion dollars of the stuff is carried across borders and sold, tax-free, every year around the world. That is a cost to governments and it also poses a health risk to consumers. But at what point do you stop blaming the criminals and the law-enforcers, and when do you start blaming governments themselves for imposing such high taxes on tobacco?

We hear from Austin Rowan, adviser to the EU Office de Lute Anti-Fraude (OLAF) which co-ordinates the European Commission's fight against the illicit trade, and we hear from one celebrated free-market economist, Arthur Laffer, who says that it's time to take a fresh look at the rich world's high-tax policies on tobacco. Also in the programme, we hear from our South America business correspondent, Katy Watson, about the economic debate affecting Brazil, ahead of next month's presidential elections.

Available now

18 minutes

Last on

Tue 9 Sep 2014 07:32GMT

Broadcast

  • Tue 9 Sep 2014 07:32GMT

Podcast