Latest news with #HabanosS.A.
Voice of America
02-03-2025
- Business
- Voice of America
Cuba's cigar fair showcases humidors as the new object of desire
Cuba's legendary cigars, hand-rolled from the finest tobacco leaves, have long captivated connoisseurs, and now a growing number of enthusiasts recognize the vital importance of humidors, those meticulously crafted boxes that help preserve their quality and longevity. More than mere containers, humidors, some true works of art in wood, regulate humidity and temperature, and can cost thousands of dollars. "Other countries produce humidors, but we create them with passion, just like in the old days," said Adrián Morán Lipis, of Humidores Clave, one of several workshops showing off their creations at Cuba's annual cigar trade fair that ran through Friday in Havana. Humidor prices range from $200 for basic 25-cigar models to thousands for exclusive pieces. Humidores Clave, for example, showcased a carved black and white humidor valued at $2,000. Last year's festival gala featured a humidor auction — with their respective cigars — that raised a staggering $19.3 million, highlighting the high value placed on these luxury items. Some of the humidors on display at this year's fair resembled iconic buildings, adorned with Cuban flags, intricate train designs, or striking abstract patterns. One particularly eye-catching humidor emulated a shark's fin, soaring over a meter in height. Innovation was also evident, with features like remote-controlled trunks and hidden compartments. Considered as some of the world's finest, Cuban cigars have solidified their position in the premium tobacco market. Habanos S.A., a joint venture between Cubatabaco and Altadis, holds the global monopoly on Cuban cigar sales. In 2024, their sales surged to $827 million, a 16% increase over the previous year, with China, Spain, Switzerland and Great Britain as key markets. The company also hosts the annual Habanos Festival, a key event for collectors, aficionados and distributors worldwide. Attendees tour plantations, participate in seminars and high-stakes auctions, and witness the latest in humidor craftsmanship. "A humidor is more than a box; it's a special shelter for tobacco," said José Ernesto Aguilera, a master craftsman whose pieces have been featured in numerous festival auctions. "Tobacco is a prince, and we build the castle it deserves."
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cuba's top cigarmaker breaks record with sales of $827 million in 2024
By Nelson Acosta HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba's top cigar maker Habanos said on Monday that sales of the company's luxurious smokes had soared to a record $827 million in 2024 as revenue poured in from fast-growing markets in China and elsewhere in Asia. Habanos Vice President Jorge Perez said revenue jumped 16% over the previous year as the company reaped high-end demand from a growing class of wealthy smokers in Asia, a region which now accounts for nearly one-quarter of the company's sales globally. Cuba's cigar business, together with rum exports, is among the crisis-racked country's last thriving export industries and critically important for raising foreign currency necessary to buy food, fuel and medicine. Habanos S.A. is owned 50% by Cuba's communist-run government and 50% by a consortium of Asian investors under the umbrella group Tabacalera. Soaring sales in 2024 came even as Cuban growers struggle to recover from Hurricane Rafael in November and Hurricane Ian in 2022, both of which ravaged the western tobacco growing provinces of Artemisa and Pinar del Rio, damaging infrastructure and crops. Jose Maria Lopez, a Habanos vice president for development, told Reuters at the company's annual festival outside Havana that tobacco production was "guaranteed" for its cigar-making despite recent natural disasters. "The total tobacco production in Cuba may be reduced but those are poorer quality tobaccos that would never enter the production of our export cigars," Lopez said. "Only a small part of all national tobacco production is dedicated to cigars, and that amount, from the highest quality leaves, is guaranteed," he added. Cuba's luxuriously smooth tobacco has long topped the cigar industry, with aficionados touting the Caribbean island's unique variety of tobacco, rich soils, and ideal climate - as well as Habanos' insistence on rolling its cigars by hand. Executives told reporters that China once again topped sales in terms of value, followed by Spain, Switzerland, Britain and Germany. Sign in to access your portfolio
The Independent
25-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Cuba's cigar fair showcases humidors as the new object of desire
Cuba's legendary cigars, hand-rolled from the finest tobacco leaves, have long captivated connoisseurs, and now a growing number of enthusiasts recognize the vital importance of humidors, those meticulously crafted boxes that help preserve their quality and longevity. More than mere containers, humidors, some true works of art in wood, regulate humidity and temperature, and can cost thousands of dollars. 'Other countries produce humidors, but we create them with passion, just like in the old days,' said Adrián Morán Lipis, of Humidores Clave, one of several workshops showing off their creations at Cuba's annual cigar trade fair that runs through Friday in Havana. Humidor prices range from $200 for basic 25-cigar models to thousands for exclusive pieces. Humidores Clave, for example, showcased a carved black and white humidor valued at $2,000. Last year's festival gala featured a humidor auction — with their respective cigars — that raised a staggering $19.3 million, highlighting the high value placed on these luxury items. Some of the humidors on display at this year's fair resembled iconic buildings, adorned with Cuban flags, intricate train designs, or striking abstract patterns. One particularly eye-catching humidor emulated a shark's fin, soaring over a meter in height. Innovation was also evident, with features like remote-controlled trunks and hidden compartments. Considered as some of the world's finest, Cuban cigars have solidified their position in the premium tobacco market. Habanos S.A., a joint venture between Cubatabaco and Altadis, holds the global monopoly on Cuban cigar sales. In 2024, their sales surged to $827 million, a 16% increase over the previous year, with China, Spain, Switzerland and Great Britain as key markets. The company also hosts the annual Habanos Festival, a key event for collectors, aficionados and distributors worldwide. Attendees tour plantations, participate in seminars and high-stakes auctions, and witness the latest in humidor craftsmanship. "A humidor is more than a box; it's a special shelter for tobacco,' said José Ernesto Aguilera, a master craftsman whose pieces have been featured in numerous festival auctions. 'Tobacco is a prince, and we build the castle it deserves.' ____
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cuba's cigar fair showcases humidors as the new object of desire
HAVANA (AP) — Cuba's legendary cigars, hand-rolled from the finest tobacco leaves, have long captivated connoisseurs, and now a growing number of enthusiasts recognize the vital importance of humidors, those meticulously crafted boxes that help preserve their quality and longevity. More than mere containers, humidors, some true works of art in wood, regulate humidity and temperature, and can cost thousands of dollars. 'Other countries produce humidors, but we create them with passion, just like in the old days,' said Adrián Morán Lipis, of Humidores Clave, one of several workshops showing off their creations at Cuba's annual cigar trade fair that runs through Friday in Havana. Humidor prices range from $200 for basic 25-cigar models to thousands for exclusive pieces. Humidores Clave, for example, showcased a carved black and white humidor valued at $2,000. Last year's festival gala featured a humidor auction — with their respective cigars — that raised a staggering $19.3 million, highlighting the high value placed on these luxury items. Some of the humidors on display at this year's fair resembled iconic buildings, adorned with Cuban flags, intricate train designs, or striking abstract patterns. One particularly eye-catching humidor emulated a shark's fin, soaring over a meter in height. Innovation was also evident, with features like remote-controlled trunks and hidden compartments. Considered as some of the world's finest, Cuban cigars have solidified their position in the premium tobacco market. Habanos S.A., a joint venture between Cubatabaco and Altadis, holds the global monopoly on Cuban cigar sales. In 2024, their sales surged to $827 million, a 16% increase over the previous year, with China, Spain, Switzerland and Great Britain as key markets. The company also hosts the annual Habanos Festival, a key event for collectors, aficionados and distributors worldwide. Attendees tour plantations, participate in seminars and high-stakes auctions, and witness the latest in humidor craftsmanship. "A humidor is more than a box; it's a special shelter for tobacco,' said José Ernesto Aguilera, a master craftsman whose pieces have been featured in numerous festival auctions. 'Tobacco is a prince, and we build the castle it deserves.' ____ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at
Associated Press
25-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Cuba's cigar fair showcases humidors as the new object of desire
HAVANA (AP) — Cuba's legendary cigars, hand-rolled from the finest tobacco leaves, have long captivated connoisseurs, and now a growing number of enthusiasts recognize the vital importance of humidors, those meticulously crafted boxes that help preserve their quality and longevity. More than mere containers, humidors, some true works of art in wood, regulate humidity and temperature, and can cost thousands of dollars. 'Other countries produce humidors, but we create them with passion, just like in the old days,' said Adrián Morán Lipis, of Humidores Clave, one of several workshops showing off their creations at Cuba's annual cigar trade fair that runs through Friday in Havana. Humidor prices range from $200 for basic 25-cigar models to thousands for exclusive pieces. Humidores Clave, for example, showcased a carved black and white humidor valued at $2,000. Last year's festival gala featured a humidor auction — with their respective cigars — that raised a staggering $19.3 million, highlighting the high value placed on these luxury items. Some of the humidors on display at this year's fair resembled iconic buildings, adorned with Cuban flags, intricate train designs, or striking abstract patterns. One particularly eye-catching humidor emulated a shark's fin, soaring over a meter in height. Innovation was also evident, with features like remote-controlled trunks and hidden compartments. Considered as some of the world's finest, Cuban cigars have solidified their position in the premium tobacco market. Habanos S.A., a joint venture between Cubatabaco and Altadis, holds the global monopoly on Cuban cigar sales. In 2024, their sales surged to $827 million, a 16% increase over the previous year, with China, Spain, Switzerland and Great Britain as key markets. The company also hosts the annual Habanos Festival, a key event for collectors, aficionados and distributors worldwide. Attendees tour plantations, participate in seminars and high-stakes auctions, and witness the latest in humidor craftsmanship. 'A humidor is more than a box; it's a special shelter for tobacco,' said José Ernesto Aguilera, a master craftsman whose pieces have been featured in numerous festival auctions. 'Tobacco is a prince, and we build the castle it deserves.'
