For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017

OR

For the transition period from to

Commission File Number: 001-33708

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

917-663-2000

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☑ No ¨

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.  Yes ¨ No ☑

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes  ☑ No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  Yes   ☑ No ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.   ☑

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.   ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).  Yes ¨ No ☑

As of June 30, 2017 , the aggregate market value of the registrant's common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $182 billion based on the closing sale price of the common stock as reported on the New York Stock Exchange.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

In this report, "PMI," "we," "us" and "our" refers to Philip Morris International Inc. and its subsidiaries.

(a) General Development of Business

General

Philip Morris International Inc. is a Virginia holding company incorporated in 1987. Our subsidiaries and affiliates and their licensees are engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside of the United States of America. We are building our future on smoke-free products that are a much better consumer choice than continuing to smoke cigarettes.  Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities and scientific substantiation, we aim to ensure that our smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. Our vision is that these products ultimately replace cigarettes to the benefit of adult smokers, society, our company and our shareholders.

Our cigarettes are sold in more than 180 markets, and in many of these markets they hold the number one or number two market share position. We have a wide range of premium, mid-price and low-price brands. Our portfolio comprises both international and local brands and is led by Marlboro , the world's best-selling international cigarette, which accounted for approximately 35% of our total 2017 cigarette shipment volume. Marlboro is complemented in the premium-price category by Parliament . Our other leading international cigarette brands are Bond Street, Chesterfield, L&M , Lark and Philip Morris. These seven international cigarette brands contributed approximately 75% of our cigarette shipment volume in 2017 . We also own a number of important local cigarette brands, such as Dji Sam Soe , Sampoerna A and Sampoerna U in Indonesia; Fortune and Jackpot in the Philippines; Belmont and Canadian Classics in Canada; and Delicados in Mexico. While there are a number of markets where local brands remain important, international brands are expanding their share in numerous markets.

In addition to our leading cigarette brand portfolio, we are engaged in the development and commercialization of smoke-free alternatives to cigarettes. Reduced-risk products ("RRPs") is the term we use to refer to products that present, are likely to present, or have the potential to present less risk of harm to smokers who switch to these products versus continued smoking.  We have a range of RRPs in various stages of development, scientific assessment and commercialization.  Because our RRPs do not burn tobacco, they produce an aerosol that contains far lower quantities of harmful and potentially harmful constituents than found in cigarette smoke.

Our leading RRP brand, IQOS , is a precisely controlled device into which a specially designed heated tobacco unit is inserted and heated to generate an aerosol. We market our heated tobacco units under the brand names HEETS , HEETS Marlboro and HEETS FROM MARLBORO , defined collectively as HEETS , as well as Marlboro HeatSticks and Parliament HeatSticks . IQOS was first introduced in Nagoya, Japan in 2014. To date, IQOS is available for sale in key cities in 37 markets and nationwide in Japan.

Source of Funds - Dividends

We are a legal entity separate and distinct from our direct and indirect subsidiaries. Accordingly, our right, and thus the right of our creditors and stockholders, to participate in any distribution of the assets or earnings of any subsidiary is subject to the prior rights of creditors of such subsidiary, except to the extent that claims of our company itself as a creditor may be recognized. As a holding company, our principal sources of funds, including funds to make payment on our debt securities, are from the receipt of dividends and repayment of debt from our subsidiaries. Our principal wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries currently are not limited by long-term debt or other agreements in their ability to pay cash dividends or to make other distributions with respect to their common stock.

(b) Financial Information About Segments

For all periods presented in this report, we divided our markets into four geographic regions, which constitute our segments for financial reporting purposes:

Net revenues and operating companies income * (together with a reconciliation to operating income) attributable to each segment for each of the last three years are set forth in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data of this Annual Report on Form 10-K ("Item 8") in Note 12. Segment Reporting to the consolidated financial statements. See Item 7 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of our operating results by business segment.

The relative percentages of operating companies income attributable to each reportable segment were as follows:

______________________________

We use the term net revenues to refer to our operating revenues from the sale of our products, net of sales and promotion incentives. Our net revenues and operating income are affected by various factors, including the volume of products we sell, the price of our products, changes in currency exchange rates and the mix of products we sell. Mix is a term used to refer to the proportionate value of premium-price brands to mid-price or low-price brands in any given market (product mix). Mix can also refer to the proportion of shipment volume in more profitable markets versus shipment volume in less profitable markets (geographic mix). We often collect excise taxes from our customers and then remit them to local governments, and, in those circumstances, we include excise taxes in our net revenues and excise taxes on products. Our cost of sales consists principally of tobacco leaf, non-tobacco raw materials, labor and manufacturing costs, as well as the cost of the IQOS devices produced by third-party electronics manufacturing service providers.

Our marketing, administration and research costs include the costs of marketing and selling our products, other costs generally not related to the manufacture of our products (including general corporate expenses), and costs incurred to develop new products. The most significant components of our marketing, administration and research costs are marketing and sales expenses and general and administrative expenses.

To provide a greater focus on both parts of our business -- combustible and reduced-risk products -- and to support our transformation toward a smoke-free future, effective January 1, 2018, we began managing our business in six reportable segments as follows:

(c) Narrative Description of Business

Our total shipments, including cigarettes and heated tobacco units, decreased by 2.7% in 2017 to 798.2 billion units. We estimate that international industry volumes, including cigarettes and heated tobacco units, were approximately 5.2 trillion units in 2017 , a 1.3% decrease over 2016 . Excluding the People's Republic of China ("PRC"), we estimate that the international cigarette and heated tobacco unit volume was 2.8 trillion units in 2017 , a 2.8% decrease over 2016 . We estimate that our reported share of the international market (which is defined as worldwide cigarette and heated tobacco unit volume, excluding the United States of America) was approximately 15.2% in 2017 , 15.5% in 2016 and 15.6% in 2015 . Excluding the PRC, we estimate that our reported share of the international market was approximately 28.0% , 28.1% , and 28.6% in 2017 , 2016 and 2015 , respectively.

Shipments of our principal cigarette brand, Marlboro , decreased by 4.0% in 2017 and represented approximately 9.7% of the international cigarette market, excluding the PRC, in 2017 , 9.6% in 2016 and 9.6% in 2015 .

We have a market share of at least 15% and, in a number of instances, substantially more than 15%, in approximately 100 markets, including Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine.

Heated tobacco units is the term we use to refer to heated tobacco consumables, which include our HEETS , HEETS Marlboro and HEETS FROM MARLBORO , defined collectively as HEETS , as well as Marlboro HeatSticks and Parliament HeatSticks. Total shipment volume of heated tobacco units reached 36.2 billion units in 2017 , up from 7.4 billion units in 2016 .

References to total international market, defined as worldwide cigarette and heated tobacco unit volume excluding the United States, total industry, total market and market shares in this Form 10-K are our estimates for tax-paid products based on the latest available data from a number of internal and external sources.

Distribution & Sales

Our main types of distribution are tailored to the characteristics of each market and are often used simultaneously:

Competition    

We are subject to highly competitive conditions in all aspects of our business. We compete primarily on the basis of product quality, brand recognition, brand loyalty, taste, R&D, innovation, packaging, customer service, marketing, advertising and retail price and, increasingly, adult smoker willingness to convert to our RRPs. Our competitors include three large international tobacco companies and several regional and local tobacco companies and, in some instances, state-owned tobacco enterprises, principally in Algeria, Egypt, the PRC, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Industry consolidation and privatizations of state-owned enterprises have led to an overall increase in competitive pressures. Some competitors have different profit and volume objectives, and some international competitors are susceptible to changes in currency exchange rates. In the combustible product category, we predominantly sell American blend cigarette brands, such as Marlboro , L&M , Parliament, Philip Morris and Chesterfield , which are the most popular across many of our markets. In the RRP product category, we predominantly sell IQOS devices and heated tobacco units. We seek to compete in all profitable retail price categories, although our brand portfolio is weighted towards the premium-price category.

Procurement and Raw Materials    

We purchase tobacco leaf of various types, grades and styles throughout the world, mostly through independent tobacco suppliers. We also contract directly with farmers in several countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Italy, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, the Philippines and Poland. In 2017, direct sourcing from farmers represented approximately 22% of PMI's global leaf requirements. The largest supplies of tobacco leaf are sourced from Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia (mostly for domestic use in kretek products), Malawi, Mozambique, Philippines, Turkey and the United States.

We believe that there is an adequate supply of tobacco leaf in the world markets to satisfy our current and anticipated production requirements.

In addition to tobacco leaf, we purchase a wide variety of direct materials from a total of approximately 450 suppliers. In 2017, our top ten suppliers of direct materials combined represented approximately 50% of our total direct materials purchases. The three most significant direct materials that we purchase are printed paper board used in packaging, acetate tow used in filter making and fine paper used in the manufacturing of cigarettes and heated tobacco units. In addition, the adequate supply and procurement of cloves are of particular importance to our Indonesian business.

The adequate supply chain for our RRP portfolio, including the supply of electronic devices, is important to our business. We work with two electronics manufacturing service providers for the supply of our IQOS devices and a small number of other providers for other products in our RRP portfolio and related accessories. Although we work closely with these service providers on monitoring their production capability and financial health, the commercialization of our RRPs could be adversely affected if they are unable to meet their commitments. The production of our RRP portfolio requires various metals, and we believe that there is an adequate supply of such metals in the world markets to satisfy our current and anticipated production requirements. However, some components and materials necessary for the production of our RRPs are obtained from single or limited sources, and can be subject to industry-wide shortages and price fluctuations. Our inability to secure an adequate supply of such components and materials could negatively impact the commercialization of our RRPs.

Our IQOS devices are subject to product warranties, which are described in more detail in Item 8. Note 5. Product Warranty to our consolidated financial statements. We discuss our RRP products in more detail in Item 7. Business Environment-Reduced Risk Products .

Business Environment

Information called for by this Item is hereby incorporated by reference to the paragraphs in Item 7, Business Environment .

Other Matters

Customers

None of our business segments is dependent upon a single customer or a few customers, the loss of which would have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations.

Employees

At December 31, 2017 , we employed approximately 80,600 people worldwide, including full time, temporary and part-time staff. Our businesses are subject to a number of laws and regulations relating to our relationship with our employees. Generally, these laws and regulations are specific to the location of each business. In addition, in accordance with European Union requirements, we have established a European Works Council composed of management and elected members of our workforce. We believe that our relations with our employees and their representative organizations are excellent.

Executive Officers of the Registrant    

The disclosure regarding executive officers is set forth under the heading "Executive Officers as of February 9, 2018" in Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance of this Annual Report on Form 10-K ("Item 10").

Research and Development

Our product development is based on the elimination of combustion via tobacco heating and other innovative systems for aerosol generation, which we believe is the most promising path to providing a better consumer choice for those who would otherwise continue to smoke. We recognize that no single product will appeal to all adult smokers. Therefore, we are developing a portfolio of products intended to appeal to a variety of distinct preferences. Four RRP platforms are in various stages of development and commercialization readiness. We describe each of them in more detail in Item 7, Business Environment-Reduced-Risk Products.

The research and development expense for our RRP portfolio accounted for 74% , 72% and 70% of our total research and development expense for the years ended December 31, 2017 , 2016 and 2015 , respectively.

The research and development expense for the years ended December 31, 2017 , 2016 and 2015 , is set forth in Item 8, Note 14. Additional Information to the consolidated financial statements.

Intellectual Property

Our trademarks are valuable assets, and their protection and reputation are essential to us. We own the trademark rights to all of our principal brands, including Marlboro , or have the right to use them in all countries where we use them.

In addition, we have more than 7,800 granted patents worldwide and approximately 7,700 pending patent applications. Our patent portfolio, as a whole, is material to our business. However, no one patent, or group of related patents, is material to us. We also have registered industrial designs, as well as unregistered proprietary trade secrets, technology, know-how, processes and other unregistered intellectual property rights.

Effective January 1, 2008, PMI entered into an Intellectual Property Agreement with Philip Morris USA Inc. ("PM USA"). The Intellectual Property Agreement governs the ownership of intellectual property between PMI and PM USA. Ownership of the jointly funded intellectual property has been allocated as follows:

Ownership of intellectual property related to patent applications and resulting patents based solely on the jointly funded intellectual property, regardless of when filed or issued, will be exclusive to PM USA in the United States, its territories and possessions and exclusive to PMI everywhere else.

The Intellectual Property Agreement contains provisions concerning intellectual property that is independently developed by us or PM USA following March 28, 2008, the date of the spin-off from Altria Group, Inc. For ten years following that date, independently developed intellectual property may be subject to rights under certain circumstances that would allow either us or PM USA a priority position to obtain the rights to the new intellectual property from the other party, with the price and other commercial terms to be negotiated.

In the event of a dispute between us and PM USA under the Intellectual Property Agreement, we have agreed with PM USA to submit the dispute first to negotiation between our and PM USA's senior executives and then to binding arbitration.

Seasonality

Our business segments are not significantly affected by seasonality, although in certain markets cigarette consumption trends rise during the summer months due to longer daylight time and tourism.

Environmental Regulation    

We are subject to international, national and local environmental laws and regulations in the countries in which we do business. We have specific programs across our business units designed to meet applicable environmental compliance requirements and reduce our carbon footprint and wastage as well as water and energy consumption. We report externally about our climate change mitigation strategy, together with associated targets and results in reducing our carbon footprint, through CDP (formerly, the Carbon Disclosure Project), the leading international non-governmental organization assessing the work of thousands of companies worldwide in the area of climate change. We have developed and implemented a consistent environmental and occupational health, safety and security management system ("EHSS"), which involves policies, standard practices and procedures at all our manufacturing centers. We also conduct regular safety assessments at our offices, warehouses and car fleet organizations. Furthermore, we have engaged an external certification body to validate the effectiveness of our EHSS management system at our manufacturing centers around the world, in accordance with internationally recognized standards for safety and environmental management. The environmental performance data we report externally is also verified by a qualified third party. Our subsidiaries expect to continue to make investments in order to drive improved performance and maintain compliance with environmental laws and regulations. We assess and report the compliance status of all our legal entities on a regular basis. Based on the management and controls we have in place and our review of climate change risks (both physical and regulatory), environmental expenditures have not had, and are not expected to have, a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations, capital expenditures, financial position, earnings or competitive position.

(d) Financial Information About Geographic Areas

The amounts of net revenues and long-lived assets attributable to each of our geographic segments for each of the last three fiscal years are set forth in Item 8, Note 12. Segment Reporting to the consolidated financial statements.

(e) Available Information    

We are required to file with the SEC annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information required by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). Investors may read and copy any document that we file, including this Annual Report on Form 10-K, at the SEC's Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. Investors may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains an Internet website at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC, from which investors can electronically access our SEC filings.

We make available free of charge on, or through, our website at www.pmi.com our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Investors can access our filings with the SEC by visiting www.pmi.com.

The information on our website is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part of this report or incorporated into any other filings we make with the SEC.

The following risk factors should be read carefully in connection with evaluating our business and the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Any of the following risks could materially adversely affect our business, our operating results, our financial condition and the actual outcome of matters as to which forward-looking statements are made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements

We may from time to time make written or oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the SEC, in reports to stockholders and in press releases and investor webcasts. You can identify these forward-looking statements by use of words such as "strategy," "expects," "continues," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "will," "estimates," "intends," "projects," "goals," "targets" and other words of similar meaning. You can also identify them by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts.

We cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will be realized, although we believe we have been prudent in our plans and assumptions. Achievement of future results is subject to risks, uncertainties and inaccurate assumptions. Should known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove inaccurate, actual results could vary materially from those anticipated,

estimated or projected. Investors should bear this in mind as they consider forward-looking statements and whether to invest in or remain invested in our securities. In connection with the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, we are identifying important factors that, individually or in the aggregate, could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements made by us; any such statement is qualified by reference to the following cautionary statements. We elaborate on these and other risks we face throughout this document, particularly in Item 7, Business Environment . You should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all risk factors. Consequently, you should not consider the following to be a complete discussion of all potential risks or uncertainties. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that we may make from time to time, except in the normal course of our public disclosure obligations.

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

This decline is due to multiple factors, including increased taxes and pricing, governmental actions, the diminishing social acceptance of smoking, continuing economic and geopolitical uncertainty, and the continuing prevalence of illicit products. These factors and their potential consequences are discussed more fully below and in Item 7, Business Environment .

Tax regimes, including excise taxes, sales taxes and import duties, can disproportionately affect the retail price of cigarettes versus other combustible tobacco products, or disproportionately affect the relative retail price of our cigarette brands versus cigarette brands manufactured by certain of our competitors. Because our portfolio is weighted toward the premium-price cigarette category, tax regimes based on sales price can place us at a competitive disadvantage in certain markets. As a result, our volume and profitability may be adversely affected in these markets.

Increases in cigarette taxes are expected to continue to have an adverse impact on our sales of cigarettes, due to resulting lower consumption levels, a shift in sales from manufactured cigarettes to other combustible tobacco products and from the premium-price to the mid-price or low-price cigarette categories, where we may be under-represented, from local sales to legal cross-border purchases of lower price products, or to illicit products such as contraband, counterfeit and "illicit whites."

Governmental actions, combined with the diminishing social acceptance of smoking and private actions to restrict smoking, have resulted in reduced industry volume in many of our markets, and we expect that such factors will continue to reduce consumption levels and will increase down-trading and the risk of counterfeiting, contraband, "illicit whites" and legal cross-border purchases. Significant regulatory developments will take place over the next few years in most of our markets, driven principally by the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control ("FCTC"). The FCTC is the first international public health treaty on tobacco, and its objective is to establish a global agenda for tobacco regulation. The FCTC has led to increased efforts by tobacco control advocates and public health organizations to promote increasingly restrictive regulatory measures on the marketing and sale of tobacco products to adult smokers. Regulatory initiatives that have been proposed, introduced or enacted include:

Our operating income could be significantly affected by regulatory initiatives resulting in a significant decrease in demand for our brands, in particular requirements that lead to a commoditization of tobacco products, as well as any significant increase in the cost of complying with new regulatory requirements.

There is litigation related to tobacco products pending in certain jurisdictions. Damages claimed in some tobacco-related litigation are significant and, in certain cases in Brazil, Canada and Nigeria, range into the billions of U.S. dollars. We anticipate that new cases will continue to be filed. The FCTC encourages litigation against tobacco product manufacturers. It is possible that our consolidated results of operations, cash flows or financial position could be materially affected in a particular fiscal quarter or fiscal year by an unfavorable outcome or settlement of certain pending litigation. See Item 8, Note 18. Contingencies ("Note 18. Contingencies ") for a discussion of pending litigation.

We compete primarily on the basis of product quality, brand recognition, brand loyalty, taste, R&D, innovation, packaging, customer service, marketing, advertising and retail price and, increasingly, adult smoker willingness to convert to our RRPs. We are subject to highly competitive conditions in all aspects of our business. The competitive environment and our competitive position can be significantly influenced by weak economic conditions, erosion of consumer confidence, competitors' introduction of lower-price products or innovative products, higher tobacco product taxes, higher absolute prices and larger gaps between retail price categories, and product regulation that diminishes the ability to differentiate tobacco products. Competitors include three large international tobacco companies and several regional and local tobacco companies and, in some instances, state-owned tobacco enterprises, principally in Algeria, Egypt, the PRC, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Industry consolidation and privatizations of state-owned enterprises have led to an overall increase in competitive pressures. Some competitors have different profit and volume objectives, and some international competitors are susceptible to changes in different currency exchange rates.

Some of the countries in which we operate face the threat of civil unrest and can be subject to regime changes. In others, nationalization, terrorism, conflict and the threat of war may have a significant impact on the business environment. Economic, political, regulatory or other developments or natural disasters could disrupt our supply chain, manufacturing capabilities or distribution capabilities. In addition, such developments could lead to loss of property or equipment that are critical to our business in certain markets and difficulty in staffing and managing our operations, which could reduce our volumes, revenues and net earnings.

In certain markets, we are dependent on governmental approvals of various actions such as price changes, and failure to obtain such approvals could impair growth of our profitability.

In addition, despite our high ethical standards and rigorous control and compliance procedures aimed at preventing and detecting unlawful conduct, given the breadth and scope of our international operations, we may not be able to detect all potential improper or unlawful conduct by our employees and partners.

Our business is subject to changes in adult consumer preferences, which may be influenced by local economic conditions. To be successful, we must:

In periods of economic uncertainty, adult consumers may tend to purchase lower-price brands, and the volume of our premium-price and mid-price brands and our profitability could suffer accordingly. Such down-trading trends may be reinforced by regulation that limits branding, communication and product differentiation.

Large quantities of counterfeit cigarettes are sold in the international market. We believe that Marlboro is the most heavily counterfeited international cigarette brand, although we cannot quantify the revenues we lose as a result of this activity. In addition, our revenues are reduced by contraband, legal cross-border purchases, "illicit whites" and non-tax-paid volume produced by local manufacturers.

Investigations include allegations of contraband shipments of cigarettes, allegations of unlawful pricing activities within certain markets, allegations of underpayment of customs duties and/or excise taxes, allegations of false and misleading usage of descriptors and allegations of unlawful advertising. We cannot predict the outcome of those investigations or whether additional investigations may be commenced, and it is possible that our business could be materially affected by an unfavorable outcome of pending or future investigations. See Note 18. Contingencies-Other Litigation and Item 7, Business Environment-Governmental Investigations for a description of certain governmental investigations to which we are subject.

Our key strategic priorities are: to develop and commercialize products that present less risk of harm to adult smokers who switch to those products versus continued smoking; and to convince current adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke to switch to those RRPs. For our efforts to be successful, we must: develop RRPs that such adult smokers find acceptable alternatives to smoking; conduct rigorous scientific studies to substantiate that they reduce exposure to harmful and potentially harmful constituents in smoke and, ultimately, that these products present, are likely to present, or have the potential to present less risk of harm to adult smokers who switch to them versus continued smoking; and effectively advocate for the development of science-based regulatory frameworks for the development and commercialization of RRPs, including communication of scientifically substantiated information to enable adult smokers to make better consumer choices. We might not succeed in our efforts. If we do not succeed, but others do, we may be at a competitive disadvantage. Furthermore, we cannot predict whether regulators will permit the sale and/or marketing of RRPs with scientifically substantiated risk-reduction claims. Such restrictions could limit the success of our RRPs.

To date, we have been largely successful in demonstrating to regulators that our RRPs are not cigarettes, and as such they are generally taxed either as a separate category or as other tobacco products, which typically yields more favorable tax rates than cigarettes. If we cease to be successful in these efforts, RRP unit margins may be adversely affected.

We conduct our business primarily in local currency and, for purposes of financial reporting, the local currency results are translated into U.S. dollars based on average exchange rates prevailing during a reporting period. During times of a strengthening U.S. dollar, our reported net revenues and operating income will be reduced because the local currency translates into fewer U.S. dollars. During periods of local economic crises, foreign currencies may be devalued significantly against the U.S. dollar, reducing our margins. Actions to recover margins may result in lower volume and a weaker competitive position.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that was signed into law in December 2017 constitutes a major change to the U.S. tax system. Our estimated impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is based on management's current interpretations, and our analysis is ongoing.  Our final tax liability may be materially different from current estimates due to developments such as implementing regulations and clarifications. In future periods, our effective tax rate and our ability to recover deferred tax assets could be subject to additional uncertainty as a result of such developments. Furthermore, changes in the earnings mix or applicable foreign tax laws may result in significant variability in our effective tax rates. Because we are a U.S. holding company, our most significant source of funds is distributions from our non-U.S. subsidiaries. Certain countries in which we operate have adopted or could institute currency exchange controls that limit or prohibit our local subsidiaries' ability to convert local currency into U.S. dollars or to make payments outside the country. This could subject us to the risks of local currency devaluation and business disruption.

Our profit growth may suffer if we are unable to introduce new products or enter new markets successfully, to raise prices or to improve the proportion of our sales of higher margin products and in higher margin geographies.

One element of our growth strategy is to strengthen our brand portfolio and market positions through selective acquisitions and the development of strategic business relationships. Acquisition and strategic business development opportunities are limited and present risks of failing to achieve efficient and effective integration, strategic objectives and anticipated revenue improvements and cost savings. There is no assurance that we will be able to acquire attractive businesses on favorable terms, or that future acquisitions or strategic business developments will be accretive to earnings.

As with other agricultural commodities, the price of tobacco leaf and cloves can be influenced by imbalances in supply and demand, and crop quality can be influenced by variations in weather patterns, including those caused by climate change. Tobacco production in certain countries is subject to a variety of controls, including government mandated prices and production control programs. Changes in the patterns of demand for agricultural products could cause farmers to produce less tobacco or cloves. Any significant change in tobacco leaf and clove prices, quality and quantity could affect our profitability and our business.

The tobacco industry competes for talent with consumer products and other companies that enjoy greater societal acceptance. As a result, we may be unable to attract and retain the best global talent.

We use information systems to help manage business processes, collect and interpret business data and communicate internally and externally with employees, suppliers, customers and others. Some of these information systems are managed by third-party service providers. We have backup systems and business continuity plans in place, and we take care to protect our systems and data from unauthorized access. Nevertheless, failure of our systems to function as intended, or penetration of our systems by outside parties intent on extracting or corrupting information or otherwise disrupting business processes, could place us at a competitive disadvantage, result in a loss of revenue, assets or personal or other sensitive data, litigation and regulatory action, cause damage to our reputation and that of our brands and result in significant remediation and other costs. Failure to protect personal data and respect the rights of data subjects could subject us to substantial fines under regulations such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation.

In certain instances, we contract with third parties to manufacture some of our products or product parts or to provide other services. We may be unable to renew these agreements on satisfactory terms for numerous reasons, including government regulations. Accordingly, our costs may increase significantly if we must replace such third parties with our own resources.

None.

At December 31, 2017 , we operated and owned 46 manufacturing facilities and maintained contract manufacturing relationships with 25 third-party manufacturers across 23 markets. In addition, we work with 38 third-party operators in Indonesia who manufacture our hand-rolled cigarettes.

PMI-Owned Manufacturing Facilities

(1) Includes facilities that produced heated tobacco units in 2017.

In 2017 , 23 of our facilities each manufactured over 10 billion cigarettes, of which eight facilities each produced over 30 billion units. Our largest factories are in Karawang and Sukorejo (Indonesia), Izmir (Turkey), Krakow (Poland), St. Petersburg and Krasnodar (Russia), Batangas and Marikina (Philippines), Berlin (Germany), Kharkiv (Ukraine), and Kutna Hora (Czech Republic). Our smallest factories are mostly in Latin America and Asia, where due to tariff and other constraints we have established small manufacturing units in individual markets. We will continue to optimize our manufacturing base, taking into consideration the evolution of trade blocks.

The plants and properties owned or leased and operated by our subsidiaries are maintained in good condition and are believed to be suitable and adequate for our present needs.

We are integrating the production of heated tobacco units into a number of our existing manufacturing facilities and progressing with our plans to build manufacturing capacity for our other RRP platforms.

The information called for by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to Item 8. Note 18. Contingencies .

Not applicable.

The principal stock exchange on which our common stock (no par value) is listed is the New York Stock Exchange. At January 31, 2018 , there were approximately 57,300 holders of record of our common stock.

Performance Graph

The graph below compares the cumulative total shareholder return on PMI's common stock with the cumulative total return for the same period of PMI's Peer Group and the S&P 500 Index. The graph assumes the investment of $100 as of December 31, 2012, in PMI common stock (at prices quoted on the New York Stock Exchange) and each of the indices as of the market close and reinvestment of dividends on a quarterly basis.

(1) The PMI Peer Group presented in this graph is the same as that used in the prior year, except Reynolds American Inc. was removed following the completion of its acquisition by British American Tobacco p.l.c. on July 25, 2017. The PMI Peer Group was established based on a review of four characteristics: global presence; a focus on consumer products; and net revenues and a market capitalization of a similar size to those of PMI. The review also considered the primary international tobacco companies. As a result of this review, the following companies constitute the PMI Peer Group: Altria Group, Inc., Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, British American Tobacco p.l.c., The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive Co., Diageo plc, Heineken N.V., Imperial Brands PLC, Japan Tobacco Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, The Kraft-Heinz Company, McDonald's Corp., Mondelēz International, Inc., Nestlé S.A., PepsiCo, Inc., The Procter & Gamble Company, Roche Holding AG, and Unilever NV and PLC.

Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest $0.10.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities During the Quarter Ended December 31, 2017

Our share repurchase activity for each of the three months in the quarter ended December 31, 2017 , was as follows:

The other information called for by this Item is included in Item 8, Note 22. Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) to the consolidated financial statements.

(in millions of dollars, except per share data)

This Selected Financial Data should be read in conjunction with Item 7 and Item 8.

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the other sections of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the consolidated financial statements and related notes contained in Item 8, and the discussion of risks and cautionary factors that may affect future results in Item 1A. Risk Factors .

We are a leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the United States of America. We are building our future on smoke-free products that are a much better consumer choice than continuing to smoke cigarettes.  Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities and scientific substantiation, we aim to ensure that our smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. Our vision is that these products ultimately replace cigarettes to the benefit of adult smokers, society, our company and our shareholders.

Our cigarettes are sold in more than 180 markets, and in many of these markets they hold the number one or number two market share position. We have a wide range of premium, mid-price and low-price brands. Our portfolio comprises both international and local brands. In addition to the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, we are engaged in the development and commercialization of reduced-risk products ("RRPs"). RRPs is the term we use to refer to products that present, are likely to present, or have the potential to present less risk of harm to smokers who switch to these products versus continued smoking.  We have a range of RRPs in various stages of development, scientific assessment and commercialization.  Because our RRPs do not burn tobacco, they produce an aerosol that contains far lower quantities of harmful and potentially harmful constituents than found in cigarette smoke.

For all periods presented in this report, we managed our business in four segments:

To provide a greater focus on both parts of our business -- combustible and reduced-risk products -- and to support our transformation toward a smoke-free future, effective January 1, 2018, we are managing our business in six reportable segments as follows:

We use the term net revenues to refer to our operating revenues from the sale of our products, net of sales and promotion incentives. Our net revenues and operating income are affected by various factors, including the volume of products we sell, the price of our products, changes in currency exchange rates and the mix of products we sell. Mix is a term used to refer to the proportionate value of premium-price brands to mid-price or low-price brands in any given market (product mix). Mix can also refer to the proportion of shipment volume in more profitable markets versus shipment volume in less profitable markets (geographic mix). We often collect excise taxes from our customers and then remit them to governments, and, in those circumstances, we include the excise taxes in our net revenues and in excise taxes on products. Our cost of sales consists principally of tobacco leaf, non-tobacco raw materials, labor and manufacturing costs, as well as the cost of the IQOS devices produced by third-party electronics manufacturing service providers.

Our marketing, administration and research costs include the costs of marketing and selling our products, other costs generally not related to the manufacture of our products (including general corporate expenses), and costs incurred to develop new products. The most

significant components of our marketing, administration and research costs are marketing and sales expenses and general and administrative expenses.

Philip Morris International Inc. is a legal entity separate and distinct from its direct and indirect subsidiaries. Accordingly, our right, and thus the right of our creditors and stockholders, to participate in any distribution of the assets or earnings of any subsidiary is subject to the prior rights of creditors of such subsidiary, except to the extent that claims of our company itself as a creditor may be recognized. As a holding company, our principal sources of funds, including funds to make payment on our debt securities, are from the receipt of dividends and repayment of debt from our subsidiaries. Our principal wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries currently are not limited by long-term debt or other agreements in their ability to pay cash dividends or to make other distributions with respect to their common stock.

The following executive summary provides significant highlights from the Discussion and Analysis that follows.

Consolidated Operating Results

Net revenues include $3.8 billion in 2017 and $739 million in 2016 related to the sale of RRPs, mainly driven by Japan. These net revenue amounts include excise taxes billed to customers, where we collect and remit the excise tax. Excluding excise taxes, net revenues for RRPs were $3.6 billion in 2017 and $733 million in 2016 . In some jurisdictions, including Japan, we are not responsible for collecting excise taxes.

Income Taxes – Our effective income tax rate for 2017 increased by 12.8 percentage points to 40.7% . The 2017 tax items that decreased our diluted EPS by $0.84 per share in the table above were primarily due to the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was signed into law in December 2017.

The principal elements of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act relevant to our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017, were:

• A reduction of the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%; and

In connection with these elements of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, we recognized a provisional expense of $1.6 billion, which was included as a component of income tax expense as follows:

While the impacts of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reduced net earnings by $1.6 billion, there was no net impact on operating cash flows for the year, as the changes in deferred taxes and income taxes payable offset the net earnings impact. At December 31, 2017, we recorded an income tax payable of $1.7 billion representing the transition tax of $2.2 billion, partially offset by foreign tax credits related to foreign withholding taxes previously paid of $0.5 billion. The income tax payable is due over an 8-year period beginning in 2018. For further details, see Item 8, Note 11. Income Taxes to our consolidated financial statements.

The change in the effective tax rate that decreased our diluted EPS by $0.03 per share in the table above was primarily due to earnings mix by taxing jurisdiction.

Currency – The unfavorable currency impact during 2017 results from the fluctuations of the U.S. dollar, especially against the Brazilian real, Egyptian pound, Euro, Japanese yen and Turkish lira, partially offset by the Russian ruble. This unfavorable currency movement has impacted our profitability across our primary revenue markets and local currency cost bases.

Interest – The favorable impact of interest was due primarily to higher interest income, partly offset by higher average debt levels.

Operations – The increase in diluted EPS of $0.47 from our operations in the table above was due primarily to the following segments:

partially offset by

For further details, see the Consolidated Operating Results and Operating Results by Business Segment sections of the following Discussion and Analysis .

2018 Forecasted Results – On February 8, 2018, we announced our forecast for 2018 full-year reported diluted EPS to be in a range of $5.20 to $5.35, representing a projected increase of approximately 34% to 38% at prevailing exchange rates, versus $3.88 in 2017. Excluding a favorable currency impact, at then-prevailing exchange rates, of approximately $0.16 per share for the full-year 2018, the forecast range represents a projected increase of approximately 7% to 10% versus adjusted diluted earnings per share of $4.72 in 2017.

This forecast assumes:

Following the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, our 2018 full-year diluted earnings per share forecast -- based on the current interpretation of the legislation -- assumes a full-year effective tax rate of approximately 28%, subject to future regulatory developments and earnings mix by taxing jurisdiction. The difference between the 21% statutory rate under the new law and our effective rate reflects the fact that we operate in markets outside the United States and is driven by three main factors: foreign tax rate differences, non-deductibility of interest expense and a partial disallowance of foreign tax credits related to the application of the rules for global intangible low-taxed income.

We calculated 2017 adjusted diluted EPS as reported diluted EPS of $3.88 , plus the $0.84 per share charge related to tax items. During 2017, we did not have an EPS impact related to asset impairment and exit costs.

Adjusted diluted EPS is not a measure under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP"). We define adjusted diluted EPS as reported diluted EPS adjusted for asset impairment and exit costs, tax items and unusual items. We believe it is appropriate to disclose this measure as it represents core earnings, improves comparability and helps investors analyze business performance and trends. Adjusted diluted EPS should be considered neither in isolation nor as a substitute for reported diluted EPS prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

This 2018 guidance excludes the impact of any future acquisitions, unanticipated asset impairment and exit cost charges, future changes in currency exchange rates, further developments related to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and any unusual events. The factors described in Item 1A. Risk Factors represent continuing risks to these projections.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Item 8, Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to our consolidated financial statements includes a summary of the significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. In most instances, we must use a particular accounting policy or method because it is the only one that is permitted under U.S. GAAP.

The preparation of financial statements requires that we use estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of our assets, liabilities, net revenues and expenses, as well as our disclosure of contingencies. If actual amounts differ from previous estimates, we include the revisions in our consolidated results of operations in the period during which we know the actual amounts. Historically, aggregate differences, if any, between our estimates and actual amounts in any year have not had a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements.

The selection and disclosure of our critical accounting estimates have been discussed with our Audit Committee. The following is a discussion of the more significant assumptions, estimates, accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements:

Revenue Recognition - We recognize revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery of product has occurred, the sales price is fixed or determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. For our company, this means that revenue is recognized when title and risk of loss is transferred to our customers. Title transfers to our customers upon shipment or upon receipt at the customer's location as determined by the sales terms for each transaction. The company estimates the cost of sales returns based on historical experience, and these estimates are immaterial. Estimated costs associated with warranty programs for IQOS devices are generally provided for in cost of sales in the period the related revenues are recognized, based on a number of factors including historical experience, product failure rates and warranty policies.

Goodwill and Non-Amortizable Intangible Assets Valuation - We test goodwill and non-amortizable intangible assets for impairment annually or more frequently if events occur that would warrant such review. During the second quarter of 2016, we changed the date of

our annual goodwill impairment test from the first quarter to the second quarter.  The change was made to more closely align the impairment testing date with our long-range planning and forecasting process. We had determined that this change in accounting principle was preferable under the circumstances and believe that the change in the annual impairment testing date did not delay, accelerate, or avoid an impairment charge. While the company has the option to perform a qualitative assessment for both goodwill and non-amortizable intangible assets to determine if it is more likely than not that an impairment exists, the company elects to perform the quantitative assessment for our annual impairment analysis. The impairment analysis involves comparing the fair value of each reporting unit or non-amortizable intangible asset to the carrying value. If the carrying value exceeds the fair value, goodwill or a non-amortizable intangible asset is considered impaired. To determine the fair value of goodwill, we primarily use a discounted cash flow model, supported by the market approach using earnings multiples of comparable global and local companies within the tobacco industry. At December 31, 2017 , the carrying value of our goodwill was $7.7 billion , which is related to ten reporting units, each of which consists of a group of markets with similar economic characteristics. The estimated fair value of each of our ten reporting units exceeded the carrying value as of December 31, 2017 . To determine the fair value of non-amortizable intangible assets, we primarily use a discounted cash flow model applying the relief-from-royalty method. We concluded that the fair value of our non-amortizable intangible assets exceeded the carrying value. These discounted cash flow models include management assumptions relevant for forecasting operating cash flows, which are subject to changes in business conditions, such as volumes and prices, costs to produce, discount rates and estimated capital needs. Management considers historical experience and all available information at the time the fair values are estimated, and we believe these assumptions are consistent with the assumptions a hypothetical marketplace participant would use. Since the March 28, 2008, spin-off from Altria Group, Inc., we have not recorded a charge to earnings for an impairment of goodwill or non-amortizable intangible assets.

Marketing and Advertising Costs - We incur certain costs to support our products through programs that include advertising, marketing, consumer engagement and trade promotions. The costs of our advertising and marketing programs are expensed in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Recognition of the cost related to our consumer engagement and trade promotion programs contain uncertainties due to the judgment required in estimating the potential performance and compliance for each program. For volume-based incentives provided to customers, management continually assesses and estimates, by customer, the likelihood of the customer's achieving the specified targets, and records the reduction of revenue as the sales are made. For other trade promotions, management relies on estimated utilization rates that have been developed from historical experience. Changes in the assumptions used in estimating the cost of any individual marketing program would not result in a material change in our financial position, results of operations or operating cash flows.

Employee Benefit Plans - As discussed in Item 8, Note 13. Benefit Plans to our consolidated financial statements, we provide a range of benefits to our employees and retired employees, including pensions, postretirement health care and postemployment benefits (primarily severance). We record annual amounts relating to these plans based on calculations specified by U.S. GAAP. These calculations include various actuarial assumptions, such as discount rates, assumed rates of return on plan assets, compensation increases, mortality, turnover rates and health care cost trend rates. We review actuarial assumptions on an annual basis and make modifications to the assumptions based on current rates and trends when it is deemed appropriate to do so. As permitted by U.S. GAAP, any effect of the modifications is generally amortized over future periods. We believe that the assumptions utilized in calculating our obligations under these plans are reasonable based upon our historical experience and advice from our actuaries.

Weighted-average discount rate assumptions for pensions and postretirement plans are as follows:

We anticipate that assumption changes will decrease 2018 pre-tax pension and postretirement expense to approximately $164 million as compared with approximately $199 million in 2017, excluding amounts related to early retirement programs. The anticipated decrease is primarily due to higher expected return on assets of $21 million, coupled with lower amortization out of other comprehensive earnings for prior service cost of $12 million and unrecognized actuarial gains/losses of $10 million, partially offset by other movements of $8 million.

Weighted-average expected rate of return and discount rate assumptions have a significant effect on the amount of expense reported for the employee benefit plans.  A fifty-basis-point decrease in our discount rate would increase our 2018 pension and postretirement expense by approximately $38 million, and a fifty-basis-point increase in our discount rate would decrease our 2018 pension and postretirement expense by approximately $54 million. Similarly, a fifty-basis-point decrease (increase) in the expected return on plan assets would increase (decrease) our 2018 pension expense by approximately $45 million. See Item 8, Note 13. Benefit Plans to our consolidated financial statements for a sensitivity discussion of the assumed health care cost trend rates.

Income Taxes - Income tax provisions for jurisdictions outside the United States, as well as state and local income tax provisions, are determined on a separate company basis, and the related assets and liabilities are recorded in our consolidated balance sheets.

The extent of our operations involves dealing with uncertainties and judgments in the application of complex tax regulations in a multitude of jurisdictions. The final taxes paid are dependent upon many factors, including negotiations with taxing authorities in various jurisdictions and resolution of disputes arising from federal, state, and international tax audits. In accordance with the authoritative guidance for income taxes, we evaluate potential tax exposures and record tax liabilities for anticipated tax audit issues based on our estimate of whether, and the extent to which, additional taxes will be due. We adjust these reserves in light of changing facts and circumstances; however, due to the complexity of some of these uncertainties, the ultimate resolution may result in a payment that is materially different from our current estimate of the tax liabilities. If our estimate of tax liabilities proves to be less than the ultimate assessment, an additional charge to expense would result. If payment of these amounts ultimately proves to be less than the recorded amounts, the reversal of the liabilities would result in tax benefits being recognized in the period when we determine the liabilities are no longer necessary.

The effective tax rates used for interim reporting are based on our full-year geographic earnings mix projections. Changes in currency exchange rates or earnings mix by taxing jurisdiction could have an impact on the effective tax rates. Significant judgment is required in determining income tax provisions and in evaluating tax positions.

For further details, see Item 8, Note 11. Income Taxes to our consolidated financial statements.

Hedging - As discussed below in "Market Risk," we use derivative financial instruments principally to reduce exposures to market risks resulting from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange and interest rates by creating offsetting exposures. For derivatives to which we have elected to apply hedge accounting, gains and losses on these derivatives are initially deferred in accumulated other comprehensive losses on the consolidated balance sheet and recognized in the consolidated statement of earnings in the periods when the related hedged transactions are also recognized in operating results. If we had elected not to use the hedge accounting provisions, gains (losses) deferred in stockholders' (deficit) equity would have been recorded in our net earnings for these derivatives.

Contingencies - As discussed in Item 8, Note 18. Contingencies to our consolidated financial statements, legal proceedings covering a wide range of matters are pending or threatened against us, and/or our subsidiaries, and/or our indemnitees in various jurisdictions. We and our subsidiaries record provisions in the consolidated financial statements for pending litigation when we determine that an unfavorable outcome is probable and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. The variability in pleadings in multiple jurisdictions, together with the actual experience of management in litigating claims, demonstrate that the monetary relief that may be specified in a lawsuit bears little relevance to the ultimate outcome. Much of the pending tobacco-related litigation is in its early stages, and litigation is subject to uncertainty. At the present time, while it is reasonably possible that an unfavorable outcome in a case may occur, after assessing the information available to it: (i) management has not concluded that it is probable that a loss has been incurred in any of the pending tobacco-related cases; (ii) management is unable to estimate the possible loss or range of loss for any of the pending tobacco-related cases; and (iii) accordingly, no estimated loss has been accrued in the consolidated financial statements for unfavorable outcomes in these cases, if any. Legal defense costs are expensed as incurred.

Our net revenues, excise taxes on products and operating companies income by segment were as follows:

As discussed in Item 8, Note 12. Segment Reporting to our consolidated financial statements, we evaluate segment performance and allocate resources based on operating companies income, which we define as operating income, excluding general corporate expenses and amortization of intangibles, plus equity (income)/loss in unconsolidated subsidiaries, net. We believe it is appropriate to disclose this measure to help investors analyze the business performance and trends of our various business segments.

Our shipment volume by segment for cigarettes and heated tobacco units was as follows:

Heated tobacco units is the term we use to refer to heated tobacco consumables, which include our HEETS , HEETS Marlboro and HEETS FROM MARLBORO , defined collectively as HEETS , as well as Marlboro HeatSticks and Parliament HeatSticks.

Our net revenues by product category, which include excise taxes billed to customers, were as follows:

Note: Sum of product categories or Regions might not foot to total PMI due to rounding.

Net revenues related to combustible products refer to the operating revenues generated from the sale of these products, net of sales and promotion incentives. These net revenue amounts consist of the sale of our cigarettes and other tobacco products combined. Other tobacco products primarily include roll-your-own and make-your-own cigarettes, pipe tobacco, cigars and cigarillos and do not include reduced-risk products.

Net revenues related to reduced-risk products refer to the operating revenues generated from the sale of these products, net of sales and promotion incentives. These net revenue amounts consist of the sale of our heated tobacco units, IQOS devices and related accessories, and other nicotine-containing products, which primarily include our e-vapor products.

References to total international market, defined as worldwide cigarette and heated tobacco unit volume excluding the United States, total industry, total market and market shares throughout this "Discussion and Analysis" are our estimates for tax-paid products based on the latest available data from a number of internal and external sources.

2017 compared with 2016

The following discussion compares our consolidated operating results for the year ended December 31, 2017 , with the year ended December 31, 2016 .

Estimated international cigarette and heated tobacco unit volume, excluding China and the United States, of 2.8 trillion was down by 2.8% .

Our total shipment volume decreased by 2.7% , principally due to:

Excluding the favorable net impact of estimated cigarette and heated tobacco unit inventory movements of approximately 3.3 billion units, our total shipment volume decreased by 3.1% . The favorable inventory movements were driven primarily by approximately 8.5 billion units net in Japan reflecting: the increasing demand for HeatSticks , anticipated to further increase in the first quarter of 2018 following a planned lifting of the restriction on IQOS device sales; the establishment of appropriate distributor inventory levels of heated tobacco units, given the current high dependence on a single manufacturing center; and the transition from air freight to sea freight of heated tobacco units, largely completed in the fourth quarter of 2017. These favorable inventory movements were partly offset by a reduction of combustible product inventory levels, mainly in: the European Union, notably Italy and Spain; EEMA, notably North Africa, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Our cigarette shipment volume by brand and heated tobacco unit shipment volume are shown in the table below:

Cigarette shipment volume of Marlboro decreased in: the European Union, mainly due to Greece, Italy and Spain; EEMA, predominantly due to Saudi Arabia, reflecting the impact of the new excise tax implemented in June 2017 that resulted in the doubling of the retail price of Marlboro from SAR 12 to SAR 24 per pack, partly offset by North Africa, notably Algeria and Egypt, and Turkey; Asia, mainly due to Japan and Korea, principally reflecting out-switching to heated tobacco products, partly offset by Indonesia and the Philippines; and Latin America & Canada, mainly due to Argentina and Brazil.

Cigarette shipment volume of the following brands decreased: L&M , mainly due to Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, partly offset by Algeria, Argentina, Colombia and Kazakhstan; Parliament , mainly due to Japan, Russia and Saudi Arabia, partly offset by Kazakhstan; Bond Street , mainly due to Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine; Lark , principally due to Japan; and "Others," mainly due to low-price brands in Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia and Ukraine.

Cigarette shipment volume of the following brands increased: Chesterfield, notably driven by Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Venezuela, partly offset by Italy and Russia; and Philip Morris , mainly driven by Russia and Ukraine, notably reflecting successful portfolio consolidation of local, low-price brands in "Others," partly offset by Argentina and Italy.

Our net revenues and excise taxes on products were as follows:

Net revenues, which include excise taxes billed to customers, increased by $3.1 billion . Excluding excise taxes, net revenues increased by $2.1 billion , due to:

The unfavorable currency was due primarily to the Argentine peso, Egyptian pound, Japanese yen, Philippine peso and Turkish lira, partially offset by the Russian ruble.

Net revenues include $3.8 billion in 2017 and $739 million in 2016 related to the sale of RRPs, mainly driven by Japan. These net revenue amounts include excise taxes billed to customers. Excluding excise taxes, net revenues for RRPs were $3.6 billion in 2017 and $733 million in 2016 . In some jurisdictions, including Japan, we are not responsible for collecting excise taxes. In 2017 , approximately $0.9 billion of our $3.6 billion in RRP net revenues, excluding excise taxes, were from IQOS devices and accessories.

Excise taxes on products increased by $1.1 billion , due to:

Our cost of sales; marketing, administration and research costs; and operating income were as follows:

Cost of sales increased by $1.0 billion , due to:

Marketing, administration and research costs increased by $320 million , due to:

Operating income increased by $688 million , due primarily to:

Interest expense, net, of $914 million increased by $23 million , due primarily to unfavorably currency and higher average debt levels, partly offset by higher interest income.

Our effective tax rate increased by 12.8 percentage points to 40.7% . The 2017 effective tax rate was unfavorably impacted by $1.6 billion due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. For further details, see Item 8, Note 11. Income Taxes to our consolidated financial statements. We are continuing to evaluate the impact that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will have on our tax liability. Based upon our current interpretation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, we estimate that our 2018 effective tax rate will be approximately 28% , subject to future regulatory developments and earnings mix by taxing jurisdiction.

We are regularly examined by tax authorities around the world, and we are currently under examination in a number of jurisdictions. It is reasonably possible that within the next 12 months certain tax examinations will close, which could result in a change in unrecognized tax benefits along with related interest and penalties. An estimate of any possible change cannot be made at this time.

Net earnings attributable to PMI of $6.0 billion decreased by $932 million ( 13.4% ). This decrease was due primarily to a higher effective tax rate as discussed above, partly offset by higher operating income. Diluted and basic EPS of $3.88 decreased by 13.4% . Excluding

an unfavorable tax impact of $0.84 primarily related to the implementation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and an unfavorable currency impact of $0.21 , diluted EPS increased by 10.0%.

2016 compared with 2015

The following discussion compares our consolidated operating results for the year ended December 31, 2016, with the year ended December 31, 2015.

Our cigarette shipment volume decreased by 4.1%, or by 4.7% excluding net estimated inventory movements, due to:

Our cigarette market share increased in a number of markets, including Brazil, Canada, Colombia, the Czech Republic, France, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

Our cigarette shipment volume by brand is shown in the table below:

Cigarette shipment volume of Marlboro decreased, driven by Algeria, Argentina, Egypt and Vietnam, as well as in-switching to heated tobacco units, partly offset by Korea, Mexico, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia and Spain.

Cigarette shipment volume of L&M decreased, notably in Russia, Thailand and Turkey, partly offset by Algeria, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. Cigarette shipment volume of Chesterfield increased, mainly driven by Argentina, the Czech Republic, reflecting the morphing of Red & White, Turkey and the United Kingdom, partly offset by Russia. Cigarette shipment volume of Parliament increased, mainly driven by Korea, Turkey and Ukraine, partly offset by Japan and Russia. Cigarette shipment volume of Bond Street increased, mainly driven by Ukraine, partly offset by Kazakhstan. Cigarette shipment volume of Philip Morris increased, driven mainly by Italy and Russia, partly offset by Argentina. Cigarette shipment volume of Lark decreased, principally due to Japan and Turkey. Cigarette shipment volume of "Others" decreased, mainly due to local, largely low-margin brands in Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia and Ukraine.

Total shipment volume of heated tobacco units reached 7.4 billion units, up from 396 million units in 2015.

Our net revenues and excise taxes on products were as follows:

Net revenues, which include excise taxes billed to customers, increased by $1.0 billion. Excluding excise taxes, net revenues decreased by $109 million, due to:

The unfavorable currency was due primarily to the Argentine peso, Canadian dollar, Egyptian pound, Euro, Kazakh tenge, Mexican peso, Philippine peso, Russian ruble and Turkish lira, partially offset by the Japanese yen.

Net revenues include $739 million in 2016 related to sale of RRPs, mainly driven by Japan. This amount includes excise taxes billed to customers. Excluding excise taxes, net revenues for RRPs were $733 million in 2016. In some jurisdictions, including Japan, we are not responsible for collecting excise taxes. Approximately 22% of our $733 million in 2016 RRP net revenues, excluding excise taxes, were from IQOS devices.

Excise taxes on products increased by $1.2 billion, due to:

Our cost of sales; marketing, administration and research costs; and operating income were as follows:

Cost of sales increased by $26 million, due to:

Marketing, administration and research costs decreased by $251 million, due to:

Operating income increased by $192 million, due primarily to:

Interest expense, net, of $891 million decreased by $117 million, due primarily to lower effective interest rates on debt and higher interest income.

Our effective tax rate decreased by 0.1 percentage point to 27.9%. The 2015 effective tax rate was unfavorably impacted by changes to repatriation assertions on certain foreign subsidiary historical earnings ($58 million), partially offset by a reduction in unrecognized tax benefits of $41 million following the conclusion of the IRS examinations of Altria Group, Inc.'s consolidated tax returns for the years 2007 and 2008 and PMI's consolidated tax returns for the years 2009 through 2011. Prior to March 28, 2008, PMI was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Altria Group, Inc.

Net earnings attributable to PMI of $7.0 billion increased by $94 million (1.4%). This increase was due primarily to higher operating income as discussed above, and lower interest expense, net. Diluted and basic EPS of $4.48 increased by 1.4%. Excluding an unfavorable currency impact of $0.46, diluted EPS increased by 11.8%.

Business Environment         

Taxes, Legislation, Regulation and Other Matters Regarding the Manufacture, Marketing, Sale and Use of Tobacco Products

The tobacco industry and our business face a number of challenges that may adversely affect our business, volume, results of operations, cash flows and financial position. These challenges, which are discussed below and in " Cautionary Factors That May Affect Future Results ," include:

Regulatory Restrictions: The tobacco industry operates in a highly regulated environment. The well-known risks of smoking have led regulators to impose significant restrictions and high excise taxes on cigarettes.

We support a comprehensive regulatory framework for tobacco products based on the principle of harm reduction, including mandated health warnings, minimum age laws, restrictions on advertising, and public place smoking restrictions. We also support regulatory measures that help reduce illicit trade.