LD was first launched in Russia in 1990,[2] and by the following year it commanded 50 percent of the country's cheap cigarette market, and 17 percent of all cigarettes in Russia.[3] Liggett Ducat was bought in 2000 by the Gallaher Group,[3] which in turn was acquired by Japan Tobacco International (JTI) in 2007.[4][5] The original Liggett Ducat factory in Moscow where LD was manufactured, was shut down in 2016.[6] Later LD was manufactured in Saudi Arabia in 2020[4][7]
In 2016, JTI announced it would introduce the LD brand on the United States cigarette market with the Red, Silver, and Menthol (Green) varieties.[2] The brand would become a discount brand and would have a $2.81-a-pack price tag.[2] It aimed to challenge discount brands such as L&M, which cost $3.69, and Pall Mall which cost $3.49.[2] LD was introduced in North Carolina and South Carolina to act as a test market, with plans to expand if successful.[1][2][8][9][10][11][12]
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