Japan Tobacco International (JTI) is reportedly planning to build a new manufacturing facility in Ștefăneștii de Jos, Ilfov County, Romania, to replace its existing Bucharest factory, according to a November 27 report from romania-insider.
The outlet reported that ground works are expected to start in the coming weeks, with completion planned for 2027. As of now, JTI has not issued any public press release or corporate statement confirming the project, and no details are available on the company’s global or Romanian websites.
The media report cited comments attributed to Philip Livingston, JTI’s Senior Vice President for Global Supply Chain, indicating that the company continues exploring opportunities to optimize its manufacturing footprint. Factory Lead Klaus-Walter Thul was also quoted as noting that JTI has expanded its Romanian operations several times since the business launched in 1994.
The Bucharest factory currently exports about 75% of its products to over 70 markets, establishing Romania as one of JTI’s major European export hubs. The company employs more than 630 workers at the current facility and over 1,500 employees nationwide. Over the past decade, JTI has consistently invested in Romania, including a EUR 25 million modernization effort in 2012 and a EUR 60 million upgrade cycle launched in 2021.
The report did not provide details on projected capacity, product mix, or whether the new site will support expanded heated-tobacco or reduced-risk production alongside conventional cigarette manufacturing. Similarly, no information has emerged from local regulatory filings or EU trade disclosures that would independently confirm land acquisition, permitting, or capital expenditure approvals related to a new greenfield plant.
Romania has been a stable and strategically important manufacturing hub for international tobacco companies, with strong export logistics and a relatively predictable operating environment within the EU. Any transition from the long-standing Bucharest facility to a new site would be one of JTI’s most significant regional investments in the past decade.
