Ottawa Unsure About Scope of Tobacco Smuggling: Federal Records

Contraband tobacco is displayed at a news conference where the Canada Border Services Agency announced it would begin using sniffer dogs to combat the illegal tobacco trade in Montreal on May 28, 2010. Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press

The federal government is unsure about the scope of tobacco smuggling in Canada, according to records tabled to the House of Commons.

“The excise reporting gap was estimated to be on average $400 million of federal excise revenue for the tax years 2014 to 2018,” said an Inquiry of Ministry document tabled in Parliament on May 31.