U.S. Cigar Imports Show Mixed Q1 Trends

U.S. cigar imports ended the first quarter of 2026 with a mixed but stable overall picture. According to the Cigar Association of America’s import reports, total large cigar imports increased by 7% year-over-year to 1.85 billion sticks, mainly driven by growth in the value-tier segment. At the same time, premium large cigar imports declined slightly by 2.6%, while little cigar shipments fell sharply and cigar leaf tobacco imports remained nearly flat.

The strongest growth came from the value-priced large cigar category under HTS code x3070, which rose 10% and accounted for approximately 80% of all large cigar imports in Q1. By contrast, the three higher HTS price tiers declined by single digits, indicating a clear separation between value-oriented demand and softer higher-tier volume trends.

Premium large cigar imports totaled 90.86 million sticks through March, down 2.6% from the previous year. Nicaragua remained the leading supplier, although volumes declined by 4.9%, while the Dominican Republic fell by 8.2%. Honduras stood out as the strongest performer, rising 11.6% and exceeding the Dominican Republic in premium volume for the first time in the dataset.

The quarter also showed a sharp decline in little cigars, with shipments falling 40% to 41.7 million units. However, the total value declined by only 12%, as the average value per 1,000 units increased by 48%, suggesting a shift toward higher-value products. Cigar leaf tobacco imports were broadly stable, down 1% to 3.30 million kilograms, but the report noted a shift toward lower-grade material.

After a mixed January and stronger February, the Q1 results suggest that the U.S. cigar market remains divided. Value-tier large cigars showed clear momentum, while premium imports remained relatively stable despite softer volumes from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Looking ahead, Q2 data will be important to determine whether Honduras’ premium cigar recovery continues and whether Nicaragua’s 2025 high represented a peak or a temporary fluctuation.