Tobacco Industry Interference in Costa Rica

In Costa Rica, the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT), which has proven links to the tobacco industry, is seeking to intervene in public policy development, including by seeking to oppose new regulations on cigarette smuggling.[1].

Founded in 2017, TRACIT presents itself as an “independent” organization, “aiming to strengthen commercial collaboration with governments and intergovernmental organizations in order to mitigate the social and economic harms of illicit trade”. However, in 2019, Philip Morris International Impact, presented as a structure to fight the illegal tobacco trade, had paid 21 million dollars to TRACIT, out of the 100 million intended for third-party financing. The use of front groups is a recurring strategy of tobacco companies to defend their interests.

Furthermore, the University of Bath has shown that Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco International have all been partners in projects run by TRACIT, and have all provided funding directly or indirectly to this structure.

In 2018, TRACIT representatives met with government officials from the Joint Commission against Illicit Trade, in which the private sector is allowed to participate or exert influence, including the tobacco industry. On this occasion, TRACIT's Executive Director spoke out to request that the role of this Joint Commission, which helps define the role and prerogatives of public authorities, be strengthened.

The meeting was held at the United States Chamber of Commerce in Costa Rica (AmCham), whose representative on the Joint Commission is himself the former director of commercial and regulatory affairs for British American Tobacco Central America (BATCA). As Tobacco Free Kids points out, AmCham is a regular vehicle used by tobacco companies to interfere in public policy.[2].

The opening up of regulations to combat illicit trade is all the more problematic when we know that the tobacco industry has been convicted on several occasions for organizing the smuggling of tobacco products. Even today, it is estimated that between 60 and 70% of the illicit tobacco market is directly supplied by the cigarette manufacturers themselves.[3].

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1] ADiaroCR, “Source: Tobacco-funded group TRACIT tries to influence tobacco control policy in Costa Rica”, July 18, 2020. https://adiariocr.com/english/tobacco-funded-group-tracit-tries-to-influence-tobacco-control-policy-in-costa-rica/ [2] Campaign For Tobacco Free Kids, “US Chamber of Commerce, Blowing smoke for big tobacco”, https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/what-we-do/industry-watch/chamber-of-commerce [3] Tobacco Control, Anna B. Gilmore, “Tobacco industry's elaborate attempts to control a global track and trace system and fundamentally undermine the Illicit Trade Protocol”, June 13, 2018 https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/28/2/127 ©National Committee Against Smoking |