KT&G relocates its U.S. HQ from Oklahoma to Texas

KT&G on Wednesday announced plans to further strengthen its position in the U.S. market by relocating its U.S. headquarters from Oklahoma City to Dallas while expanding its operations there.

Dallas is one of the most competitive tobacco markets in the United States, where some 20 cigarette companies are vying for the top spot.

KT&G ranks third in Texas by market share.

Since KT&G started exporting its products to the United States in 1999, sales have risen rapidly.

The company does not announce its exports in dollars but rather on the number of cigarettes sold, and last year, it shipped out 2.8 billion - its biggest year ever. This is a year-on-year increase of 5.2 percent and a spike of nearly 1,200 percent compared to the 220 million it sold in 1999.

In the United States, KT&G ranks sixth by market share.