About Us

Philip Morris International (PMI) is one of the world’s leading international tobacco companies. Headquartered in New York City and listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: PM), the American company has a workforce of over 71,000.

PMI is building its future on replacing cigarettes with smoke-free products that—while not risk-free—are a far better choice than cigarette smoking.

The COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the global illicit trade problem, with lasting effects in the years to come. Illicit trade thrived under the pandemic, as the criminal organizations profiting from it were quick to adapt their operations to this new situation. As countries were struggling to effectively combat the pandemic, a rise in trafficking of fraudulent goods –including fake personal protective equipment (PPE) could be observed, as PPE was in short supply in many countries due to varying combinations of poor preparedness, trade restrictions, and production capacity constraints.

In the United States, PMI joined forces with other private sector partners and organizations to raise awareness of this threat and help increase the reporting of fraud to the authorities. This initiative—as well as an Illicit Trade Prevention certification course PMI organized and hosted for U.S. law enforcement agents—was recognized with a Partnership Award from the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center), part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).