Philip Morris Romania

Philip Morris Romania is the local affiliate of Philip Morris International.

Philip Morris International (PMI) is a leading international tobacco company, actively delivering a smoke-free future and evolving its portfolio for the long term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. The company’s current product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, nicotine pouch and e-vapor products.

Since 2008, PMI has invested over $14 billion to develop, scientifically substantiate and commercialize innovative smoke-free products for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, with the goal of completely ending the sale of cigarettes. This includes the building of world-class scientific assessment capabilities, notably in the areas of pre-clinical systems toxicology, clinical and behavioural research, as well as post-market studies. In 2022, PMI acquired Swedish Match – a leader in oral nicotine delivery – creating a global smoke-free champion led by the companies’ IQOS and ZYN brands. Following a robust science-based review, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the marketing of Swedish Match’s General snus and ZYN nicotine pouches and versions of PMI’s IQOS devices and consumables - the first-ever such authorizations in their respective categories. Versions of IQOS devices and consumables and General snus also obtained the first ever Modified Risk Tobacco Product authorizations from the FDA.

In 1993, Philip Morris International (PMI) established its first office in Bucharest, and four years later, began constructing a factory in Otopeni. The cigarette factory was completed in 2000. In 2016, PMI announced its ambition to achieve a smoke-free future. The following year, the company committed $500 million to transform the factory and develop production capabilities for IQOS and other heat-not-burn devices. Since 2017, sustained investments of more than $730 million in the Otopeni factory have significantly enhanced local manufacturing capabilities and expanded the smoke-free product category in Romania.

Philip Morris Romania makes a major contribution to the development of the country’s economy. In 2023, the company’s direct added value to Romania’s economy reached 1.27 billion RON, up from nearly 880 million RON. Philip Morris Romania plays a significant role in supporting public finances, with substantial contributions to the state budget through taxes and duties. The total impact on Romania’s economy, including VAT and excise duties, amounted to 10.1 billion RON, representing 0.63% of GDP. Taxes paid to the Romanian state totaled approximately 4 billion RON. The value of smoke-free product exports manufactured at the Otopeni production facility reached nearly 1 billion RON—2.6 times higher than in 2021. Since 2017, exports of these products have seen remarkable growth, surpassing traditional categories such as wine and wheat.

The company’s impact is also felt in the labor market and across the value chain. Philip Morris Romania is the second-largest player in Romania’s FMCG sector in terms of employee numbers. Between 2021 and 2023, the number of employees in the company increased by 31%, reaching over 1,500 people. In total, the number of jobs generated by the company reached over 9,000 through direct, indirect, and induced effects.

This economic footprint not only strengthens Romania's position as a leader in advanced manufacturing but also underscores its strategic importance in PMI’s global operations and the broader socio-economic landscape.