Customs revenue fell by more than £2million last year as imports of tobacco and cider into Guernsey fell sharply.
More than 21,000kg of tobacco was brought in to the island in 2019, and imports remained steady in 2023 when 19,513kg was imported.
But last year tobacco imports fell to 11,749kg – a near 40% drop and a record low in the past decade – wiping around £3m off the customs duty received for it in 2023.
Imports of cider also fell by 14.6% year-on-year, shaving off £73,000.
The volumes of spirits and beer imported fell marginally but revenue from these products increased by around 3% each.
Imports of wine increased by around 60,000 litres and brought in an extra 4.2% of revenue compared to 2023.
Fuel imports were down 1% but revenue grew by 2.5% and it continued to account for almost half of revenue last year which stood at £44,874,767.
There was a spike in customs revenue for all but beer and fuel during 2020, the first year of covid-19 and lockdowns.
The volume of tobacco imports have hovered around 20,000kg in the past few years, but it was as high as 31,000kg ten years ago.
Recent data published by Public Health showed that in 2023 under 10% of people self-reported being smokers – the first time it had dropped to single percentage points.
This was down 4% on 2018’s numbers and much reduced from the 1990s where it’s estimated just under a third of islanders smoked.
The same data also showed that more people are reporting staying away from alcohol, and those who continue to drink are doing so less frequently.