China's State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) Tuesday
denied a report that it had approved British American Tobacco's
(BAT's) application to establish a cigarette joint venture.
The London-based cigarette maker issued a statement last Friday
saying that the Chinese government had approved its major strategic
investment in the country.
According to the statement, BAT expects to team up with China
Eastern Investments to set up an 800-million-pound (US$1.5 billion)
JV to produce and sell its cigarettes in China.
"We did not approve the project, and we are surprised to hear
the report," said Wei Xinhua, deputy director of the STMA's General
Office, on Tuesday.
In accordance with the Law on Tobacco Monopoly, the
establishment of a new cigarette factory must be approved by the
STMA.
"I am wondering why BAT said the Chinese government had approved
the project," he said, adding that his office will make an
announcement on this issue in two days.
But in response to questions Tuesday, British American Eastern,
BAT's subsidiary in China, said, "the approval comes from the
central government."
BAT's announcement last week shook up the global tobacco
industry, because the joint venture would be the first foreign
tobacco firm to get the green light to manufacture cigarettes in
China and would probably be the biggest cigarette factory in the
country.
BAT, already the world's second-largest tobacco company, said
that the new JV would have a manufacturing capacity of 100 billion
cigarettes per year, dwarfing its existing 180 factories.
That is expected to give BAT's leading brands a 5 percent share
of China's tobacco sales, the company said.
It plans to make State Express 555 -- the most popular foreign
cigarette in China -- together with its other brands in the factory
and distribute its products nationally.
"For us it represents a major growth opportunity whilst
contributing to the Chinese government's excellent efforts to
continue developing the performance of the country's tobacco
industry," said BAT Chief Executive Paul Adams. "We look forward,
with our partners, to finalizing the detailed work in close
cooperation with the Chinese government."
The company said further details about the JV, including its
final location and arrangements, would be announced in due
course.
BAT produced 792 billion cigarettes last year and has a 15
percent share of the world's tobacco market. The company, through
its partner China Eastern Investment, imported over 1 billion
cigarettes into China last year.
Foreign tobacco companies are eager to establish bases for
domestic production in China, which is the world's largest
cigarette market with annual sales of around 1.8 trillion
cigarettes, while the European and American markets are shrinking.
Although foreign makers have been selling cigarettes in China for
many years, tariffs are as high as 65 percent.
But STMA's Hu Xinhua said that the country will not currently
approve the establishment of any new cigarette factories, as
manufacturing capacity exceeds demand.
China plans to close or merge all its small cigarette factories
-- those with annual production capacity of fewer than 100,000
cartons (5 billion cigarettes) -- by the end of this year.
(China Daily July 21, 2004)