Papastratos' Aspropyrgos plant generated 83% of Greek export value to Japan in 2025

Production at the Papastratos plant in Aspropyrgos accounted for 83% of the total value of Greek exports to Japan in 2025, according to a report by sofokleousin.gr. The entire share came from heated tobacco sticks manufactured at the site, and 60% of the plant's current output is directed to the Japanese market.

The figures were presented by Papastratos vice-president Alexandros Chatzopoulos during a discussion organised by Enterprise Greece at the Japanese pavilion of the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair, where Japan was the honoured country. The session covered bilateral economic and trade relations and the scope for exporting Greek innovation to the Japanese market.

A €700 million conversion at Aspropyrgos

The plant's production base has been rebuilt since 2017 with the support of Philip Morris International. The site was converted into a facility producing heated tobacco sticks exclusively for IQOS, with total investment to date exceeding €700 million. sofokleousin.gr reports that the investment was accompanied by new jobs and a deeper technical skill base at the unit.

The company's export value now exceeds €400 million a year. Papastratos' presence in Japan is presented as an example of how manufacturing can be tied to export orientation and to raising the added value carried by Greek exports. In recent years the company has turned the Aspropyrgos factory into a strongly export-oriented production unit supplying markets outside Greece.

The Japanese business coincides with Papastratos' 95th year of operation and forms part of a wider shift that has moved the bulk of the company's activity from conventional cigarette manufacturing to non-combustible products. Aspropyrgos now sits at the centre of the group's production and export activity.

A demanding market

Chatzopoulos described Japan as a particularly exacting market for the plant's output. Greek origin alone, he said, cannot carry a product; it has to meet high quality and reliability requirements consistently. The ability of the Aspropyrgos operation to do so is, in his view, an indication of the competitiveness of Greek industry. He set out three conditions for the international competitiveness of Greek companies:

• investment in manufacturing
• systematic investment in people and technical know-how
• consistency in both production and the execution of investment plans

Bilateral trade and the 2026-2030 export strategy

Deputy Foreign Minister Haris Theoharis told the session that Greek exports to Japan rose 41.8% in 2025, and pointed to room for further growth in bilateral trade. Japan's position in technology, industrial production, quality and innovation makes it a potential strategic partner for the Greek economy, with the stated aim extending beyond export volumes to partnerships linking Greek business with Japanese know-how.

Dimitris Skalkos, secretary general for international economic relations and extroversion at the foreign ministry and president of Enterprise Greece, stressed building the presence of Greek companies in new markets, particularly where export activity carries innovation. That approach is embedded in the Strategic Extroversion Plan 2026-2030, which targets not only higher Greek exports but greater value embedded in the goods and services reaching international markets. Also taking part were EFA GROUP chief executive Grigorios Koutsogiannis, who spoke about adapting to the requirements of the Japanese market and building long-term relationships, and Eleni Polychronopoulou, president of ERMA GROUP and HEMEXPO and vice-president of SEA Europe, who highlighted openings for Greek technological and industrial solutions in shipping, energy saving and technology.