Switzerland is known for its powerful banks, but also for its production of high-end chocolate. However, cigar consumption and its manufacture are also rooted in local tradition. For information, it was in Switzerland that the first tobacco retail trade was born. Currently, the country is the leader in the sale of habanos. We can associate this success with the large number of Swiss cigar experts, but also with the quality of the offer.
cigar cases
Flor De Copan
Alec Bradley

Switzerland: a country that imports habanos

According to official figures from 2012, the average local cigar consumption of one craft cigar per capita per year. In addition to the cigar, each inhabitant also finishes a pack of cigarillos in the year. For comparison, the Swiss consume 5 times more tobacco than the Germans, without taking into account the small size of the country. It must be said that lounges have been specially opened on the territory to accommodate smokers.
Trinidad
Cuaba
Partagas

On the import side, the country imports around 58 million cigars and cigarillos. A substantial quantity knowing that Switzerland already produces cigars on site. Among its supplier countries of industrial cigars, including cigarillos and hand-rolled cigars of exceptional quality, we find in first position Cuba. Nearly 8 million premium cigars are ordered from Cuban producers per year. A figure that represents 65% of the local Swiss cigar market.

In second place is the Dominican Republic, followed by Nicaragua and Honduras. Cuba is also since 2011, the official supplier of Spain, Germany and Switzerland.
cohiba
Monte Cristo
Ramon Allones

History of the national cigar craze

In the middle of the 19th century, nearly 60 tobacco factories were established in the cantons of Lucerne and Aargau. Pricing advantages, as well as a market favoring the hiring of personnel are at the origin of the development of this sector. A policy that finally allowed Switzerland to become a major exporter of tobacco. It should be noted that at that time, only a privileged few could afford the luxury of buying artisanal habanos from the Caribbean.
Honduras
Rafael González
San Cristobal

It must be said that the price of these imported products is still inaccessible, knowing that Switzerland is not yet able to master the art of making cigars in the same way as the Cubans for example. This despite the proliferation of tobacco cultivation on the Old Continent. For example, Spain had the possibility of importing raw tobacco leaves by ship, but these could not be smoked.
Davidoff Cigars
Limited Editions
Davidoff series "Anniversary"

To solve this major problem, a precursor had the ingenious idea of opening a Habano wholesaler on the territory in order to meet the demand of the European market. From this moment and with its quality products, Switzerland is positioned as the first European supplier of habano cigars. For several years, the fiscal parameters favorable to the tobacco industry only favored the flourishing of the activity. Still, diplomatic relations between Cuba and Switzerland have allowed the market for Cuban vitolas to flourish within the Swiss Confederation.
Cuba
Nicaragua
Santo Domingo

However, the financial crisis has put a brake on this flourishing sector. It was not without counting on the benevolence of wealthy smokers who came from Asia to enjoy the best cigars in Switzerland, such as the undeniable Cohiba Behike.

The Swiss online cigar offer

Only one Swiss company has the ability to import Habanos and Cuban cigarillos. However, the local market is very competitive. Resellers, especially online stores, thus have a premium cigar offer that is among their best sellers. You will have the opportunity to order habanos from major brands on e-commerce, such as Cohiba, Montecristo, Partagas or Romeo y Julieta cigars.
Davidoff Series 702
Bolívar
Juan Lopez

In all, the Swiss offer of Cuban cigars has 300 vitolas from 33 different brands. All Cuban products have undergone authentication before being imported, just like cigars sold in Cuba.

Regarding local production, we can mention the Villiger Söhne cigars whose owner is also an importer and also offers his products, such as the Villiger 1888, the Bock, but also La Libertad or Vegafina.

Other importers supply cigars from all over the world, including: AJ Fernandez, Dunhill, Flor Dominicana, Oliva Cigar Company, Flor Dominicana, Don Pepin, Gilbert de Montsalvat, Flor de Selva, La Rica, Alec Bradley, Cain, NUB, Ashton, Marken Rocky Patel, Bossner, Bentley, Schuster Bunde, Casa de Torres, Maria Mancin.
Davidoff Primeros and Cigarillos
Davidoff series "Royal"
Davidoff Nicaragua Series

The contribution of Cuban craftsmen to support the Swiss market

In addition to the irreproachable quality of the products from the island of Cuba, Cuban personalities have contributed their know-how to perfect the offer intended for Switzerland. Ramón Allones is the pioneer of boxes decorated by affixing lithographed labels to the boxes. In particular, he designed, in the 19th century, specific boxes for Switzerland, on which one could read the words “Confederación Suiza”.

Luis Susini took up the torch by modernizing the technique of engraving vistas. His know-how and the importation of a machine allowed the color chromolithography of beautiful drawings representing, for example, Swiss landscapes.
Davidoff "Millennium Blend" series
Davidoff Escurio
Davidoff series "Grand Cru"

Moreover, on the occasion of the Festival del Habano in 2007, Switzerland had the opportunity to present an exceptional piece. This is the Partagás Subasta humidor that Michel Perrenoud, a Swiss artist, designed in solid mahogany. Pyramidal in shape, the box received the Partagás logo.

Finally, a Swiss cultural space was opened to the public to discover the works of these masters and other documents attesting to the favorable understanding between Cuba and Switzerland. You will find there the wishes of prosperity addressed by the Swiss Federal Council to the first president of the Republic of Cuba, Tomás Estrada Palma.
Davidoff Yamasa Series
Davidoff Sir Winston Churchill
Davidoff Signature Series