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EU: Commission rules on $13.6B Beam, Suntory deal

By  |  April 22, 2014

The European Commission announced Tuesday it has approve of the $13.6 billion acquisition of US-based Beam by Japan-based Suntory, a deal that catapults the new company into third-place of the world’s top spirits makers.

As expected, the Commission cleared the transaction, having found no cause for competition concern. Suntory had previously said the deal would allow the company to expand its operations in the US through Jim Bean bourbon; the Japanese firm operates 90 percent of its business domestically, according to reports.

The acquisition will allow Suntory to increase its share of the US market from 1 percent to 11 percent.

Full Content: Reuters

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