The turnover amounts to 25 billion cigarettes per year, as the additional demand of the armed forces for tobacco limits our production capacity The acquisition of a majority stake in the cigarette manufacturer Maspero Freres Company, based in Cairo, allows us to expand our export trade of cigarettes made from Turkish tobacco to India and Europe. The company offers a wide range of brands:[29] A review of the tobacco industry`s internal documents for the period 1985-1995 found that BAT was in contact with scientists and was selective about the results to be published.50 To improve the sustainability of the tobacco industry, tobacco companies invest in tobacco and nicotine products that, unlike cigarettes, could have growth potential in developed markets. These products are often referred to as next-generation products (NGV) and are often associated with tobacco companies` harm reduction strategies. These include e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products (HTP) and snus. With a return to growth, we rank third among British, French and German companies in terms of corporate profits. British American Tobacco spent more than €700,000 lobbying in the EU in 2008, up to four times more than the company reported in the EU`s Stakeholder Register, according to a report by the European Business Observatory. The report argues that BAT`s hidden lobbying activities, which are clearly not in the public interest, should be subject to public scrutiny. [53] In its 2017 Corporate Profile, BAT indicated that it sold 300 tobacco brands in 180 markets and held a 15% share of the global tobacco market.4 Popular BAT cigarette brands include Dunhill, Kent, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall and Rothmans.5 BAT held 42.2% of the shares of Reynolds American Inc (RAI) from 2004 to 2017. BAT announced in January 2017 that it had agreed to acquire the remaining 57.8% stake it does not yet own.6 This acquisition was finalized at the end of 2017.7 In August 2003, BAT acquired a 67.8% stake in serbian tobacco company Duvanska Industrija Vranje (DIV), which enabled local production of its brands and was exempted from import duties. In the longer term, export opportunities are foreseen, as neighbouring countries of South-Eastern Europe have concluded free trade agreements. [16] The Office of Serious Fraud opened a “formal investigation” in August 2017, based on the evidence file presented by former employee and whistleblower Paul Hopkins.
The formal investigation is based on Hopkins` claims that BAT paid bribes to government officials in Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda and the Comoros to undermine tobacco control regulations in the African market, which is the only growing market. BAT responded by classifying Hopkins as “a rogue former employee.” BAT boss Nico Durante said BAT operates in 200 countries and cannot guarantee 100% that everything will be done in accordance with the book. [61] [62] In November 2014, Her Majesty`s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) imposed a fine of GBP 650,000 after it was found that the company was flooding the Belgian market with tobacco products with the likelihood that these products would return illegally to the UK, without paying UK excise duties. The event highlighted a contraband tobacco problem that many anti-smoking activists have been trying to highlight for years. Following several investigations, HMRC reportedly seized more than 1.4 billion cigarettes and 330 tonnes of roll-your-own tobacco in 2013-2014. BAT denied all allegations, calling the allegation and fine “unjustified.” [58] British American Tobacco (BAT) was founded in 1902 when the Imperial Tobacco Company and the American Tobacco Company formed a new joint venture.1 Based in London, UNITED KINGDOM (UK), the company operates in Australasia, Africa, Europe and the Americas.2 It is the second largest tobacco company in the world after Philip Morris International (PMI) and excluding the Chinese National Tobacco Corporation (CNTC).3 BAT is one of 13 companies only, which was named Global Top Employer 2018 by the Top Employers Institute. The Group`s 2018 annual and sustainability reports underscore BAT`s commitment to “tobacco processing” by offering adult consumers an unparalleled range of potentially reduced-risk products. After nearly 37 years at BAT and eight years as CEO, Nicandro Durante informs the Board of Directors of his intention to retire in 2019. Chief Operating Officer Jack Bowles, who joined BAT`s Board of Directors in 2009, will be announced as his successor. In May 2011, BAT acquired the Colombian company Productora Tabacalera de Colombia S.A.S. (Protabaco).
[22] The group was a major financial services company with the acquisitions of Eagle Star (1984), Allied Dunbar (1985) and Farmers Group, Inc. (1988). [31] Around 1996, British American Tobacco consolidated its financial operations into a single business unit, British American Financial Services (BAFS). This division merged with Zurich Insurance Company in 1998 to form the Zurich Financial Services Group. [32] At its peak in 1937, BAT produced and distributed 55 billion cigarettes in China. The company`s assets were confiscated by the Japanese in 1941 after their invasion in 1937. In 1949, the company was expelled from China after the founding of the People`s Republic. [8] In May 2013, in response to questions posed by Health Advocacy Action on Smoking and Health at the company`s annual general meeting, the company announced that it had funded the following: “British American Tobacco is pleased to support those who believe in the same thing as we do – whether retailers against exhibition bans or farmers against mandatory tobacco cultivation; With a growing focus on the tobacco trade, B.A.T was renamed British American Tobacco PLC in 1998. Acquisitions included the American Tobacco Company (1994), which represented cigarette brands such as Pall Mall and Lucky Strike; Rothmans International (1999), known for its Dunhill and Rothmans brands; and Canada`s largest cigarette company, Imperial Tobacco (2000). Get to know the people who lead the strategic direction of our company.
In 2017, it was reported that BAT and other tobacco companies used a mixture of threats and intimidation to stop or reduce the implementation of tobacco control legislation in at least eight African countries. [60] One document showed that BAT in Uganda concluded that the tobacco control law violated the country`s constitution. Another document showed that lawyers acting on behalf of BAT demanded that Kenya`s Supreme Court “completely repeal” the smoke-free legislation. [60] In 2019, McLaren signed a multi-year contract with British American Tobacco.