Market evolution: Cigarette lighters (CN 9613) — 2015–2025

Introduction

The European Union occupies a distinctive position in the global cigarette lighter market: it is both a major producer and a consistent net exporter. Over the 2015–2025 period, EU external trade in CN 9613 (cigarette lighters, other lighters and parts thereof) has undergone significant structural change. While aggregate trade values have remained broadly stable, the underlying dynamics — volume trends, pricing, geographic orientation and product composition — reveal a market in transition. This report examines the general overview of EU trade flows, the market structure and partner concentration, and the product segment breakdown to identify the main forces shaping this sector.

1. A Shrinking Volume Surplus with Rising Unit Values

The EU maintains a positive trade balance, but volumes are converging

Throughout the period, the EU recorded a trade surplus in CN 9613 products. However, the nature of that surplus changed markedly. In 2015, EU exports reached €286.8 million on a volume of 19,804 tonnes, while imports stood at €190.5 million on 25,332 tonnes. By 2025, exports had declined to €270.7 million (−5.6%) and 16,636 tonnes (−16.0%), while imports fell slightly in value to €181.5 million (−4.8%) but rose in volume to 26,107 tonnes (+3.1%). The trade balance consequently narrowed from €96.2 million to €89.3 million (−7.2%).

Source: General Overview — Trade

Rising export prices reflect a shift toward higher-value products

The most striking trend is the divergence between volume and price on the export side. EU export volumes fell by 16%, yet export values declined by only 5.6%, because unit export prices rose by 12.4% (from €14,477/t to €16,269/t). This is consistent with a structural upgrading: the EU is exporting fewer tonnes of lighters, but the products shipped are increasingly of higher unit value — likely premium refillable lighters and branded goods. By contrast, import unit prices fell by 7.6%, reflecting continued sourcing of lower-cost, mass-market lighters from Asian suppliers.

The EU's net exporter position has deepened dramatically

The net import reliance indicator moved from approximately −0.1% in 2015 to −69.4% in 2025 (with a trough of −87.4%). Negative values indicate net export status, so this shift means the EU has moved from near self-sufficiency to being a very large net exporter in value terms. Meanwhile, trade intensity doubled from 52% to 105%, and export propensity surged from 35% to 108%. This confirms that the EU's lighter industry is heavily export-oriented and increasingly reliant on foreign markets to absorb its output.

2. China-Dominated Imports and a Shifting Export Geography

China consolidates its role as the EU's dominant import source

China has been — and remains — by far the largest supplier of lighters to the EU. In 2015, Chinese imports totalled €120.2 million (63% of total EU imports); by 2025, this had grown to €124.1 million (68%). At its peak in 2022, Chinese imports reached €193.8 million, likely reflecting a post-pandemic restocking effect. The import concentration HHI rose from 4,205 to 4,853, confirming that import sources have become more concentrated over the decade, driven by China's growing share.

Source: Top Partners — Imports

Secondary Asian suppliers — Viet Nam, India and Hong Kong — have all seen import values decline substantially (−31% to −42%), suggesting that any prior diversification away from China has either reversed or failed to gain traction.

The United States remains the top export destination, but its share is eroding

The EU's export geography has undergone considerable reshuffling. The United States was the single largest export market in 2015 (€106.3 million, 37% of exports), but by 2025 this had fallen to €68.9 million (−35.2%), reducing its share to roughly 25%. The loss of US export value is the single largest drag on EU export performance.

Source: Top Partners — Exports

Simultaneously, several emerging and mid-tier markets have grown: Australia (+28%), Türkiye (+47%), and Russia (+22%) all absorbed more EU exports in 2025 than in 2015. The export concentration HHI fell sharply from 1,617 to 927, indicating that EU exporters have successfully diversified their geographic footprint — even though this diversification has not fully compensated for the decline in US-bound sales.

France anchors EU exports, while Spain and new Member States gain ground

Among EU Member States, France has been the dominant exporter throughout the period, accounting for €186.3 million in 2015 and €136.2 million in 2025 (−26.9%). Despite this decline, France still represents roughly half of all EU exports in this product. Notably, Spain's exports surged from €41.2 million to €61.9 million (+50.3%), and several Central and Eastern European Member States emerged as significant exporters:

Source: Top Reporters — Exports

Poland's export growth is especially remarkable (from under €0.5 million to €4.6 million), suggesting the emergence of new production or distribution capacity. Specialisation indices for 2025 confirm that France (RSCA 0.58), Slovakia (0.65), Bulgaria (0.70), and Spain (0.48) are the most specialised EU exporters in this product category.

3. The Refillable Lighter Dominance and a Production Paradox

Refillable gas lighters drive both import and export volumes

The product segment breakdown reveals that refillable pocket gas lighters (CN 961320) dominate both sides of EU trade. In 2025, this sub-product accounted for:

• Imports: 12,604 tonnes (48% of total import volume) worth €73.5 million
• Exports: 1,767 tonnes (11% of export volume) but €50.2 million (19% of export value)

This disparity in volume share versus value share underscores the EU's competitive position in higher-end refillable lighters: the EU imports large volumes of cheaper refillable lighters while exporting far fewer tonnes at much higher unit prices (€28,406/t vs. €5,826/t for imports in 2025).

Non-refillable lighters are in structural decline

Non-refillable gas pocket lighters (CN 961310) tell a different story. On the import side, volumes fell from 5,966 tonnes in 2015 to 3,666 tonnes in 2025 (−39%), and values dropped from €25.5 million to €16.6 million (−35%). On the export side, volumes fell even more dramatically — from 14,791 tonnes to 10,217 tonnes (−31%), and supplementary unit data show an even steeper decline in piece count (from 758 million items to 227 million items, −70%). This suggests that the EU's non-refillable lighter segment is contracting, likely due to regulatory pressures (e.g., child-safety and single-use product restrictions), changing consumer habits, and competition from Asian suppliers.

Lighter parts and specialty lighters show divergent trends

Parts of lighters (CN 961390) remained stable as an import category (around €14–17 million) but grew as an export category, rising from €27.1 million to €37.4 million (+38%). This points to the EU retaining a role as a supplier of higher-value components and replacement parts, even as finished-product exports decline.

The residual lighter category (CN 961380 — electric lighters, table lighters, etc.) saw import values grow from €64.2 million to €77.4 million (+21%) and export values grow from €26.7 million to €43.5 million (+63%). This category has been the fastest-growing segment in percentage terms, potentially reflecting the rise of electric/plasma arc lighters and premium table-top products.

EU production volumes rose sharply while values collapsed

Perhaps the most puzzling dynamic in the data is the divergence between EU production volumes and values. Production quantities increased from 583 million items in 2015 to 800 million items in 2025 (+37%), while production values fell from €429 million to €272 million (−37%). This implies that the average production value per item dropped from roughly €0.74 to €0.34 — a 54% decline. Possible explanations include a compositional shift toward lower-value non-refillable lighters in the production mix, deflationary pricing pressure from Asian competition, or a growing share of production being destined for re-export at thin margins. Regardless of the cause, this divergence signals margin compression for EU-based manufacturers.

Conclusion

The EU's trade in cigarette lighters (CN 9613) over 2015–2025 reveals a market that is simultaneously consolidating and transforming. The EU remains a net exporter, but its export profile is shifting toward fewer, higher-value units — particularly in the premium refillable and specialty lighter segments. Import dependence on China has deepened, while export markets have diversified away from the United States toward a broader set of destinations including Australia, Türkiye, and Russia. The non-refillable lighter segment is in long-term decline, while lighter parts and specialty/electric lighters are gaining prominence. Most critically, the production paradox — rising output volumes paired with collapsing production values — poses a fundamental question about the long-term competitiveness and profitability of EU-based lighter manufacturing. Stakeholders should monitor whether the upward trend in export unit values can sustain the EU's trade surplus as the product mix continues to evolve.