Try our mobile app

Russia business update – agreement signed

Published: 2023-09-07 09:00:34 ET
<<<  go to JSE:BTI company page
British American Tobacco p.l.c.
Incorporated in England and Wales
(Registration number: 03407696)
Short name: BATS
Share code: BTI
ISIN number: GB0002875804




British American Tobacco p.l.c.

7 September 2023



                         Russia business update – agreement signed

In March 2022 BAT announced that the ownership of our business in Russia was no longer
sustainable in the current environment and that our intention was to transfer our business. BAT
has now formally entered into an agreement to sell its Russian and Belarusian businesses in
compliance with local and international laws.

The buyer is a consortium led by members of BAT Russia’s management team which, upon
completion, will wholly own both businesses. Post completion, these businesses will be known
as the ITMS Group.

Throughout the transfer process one of our key priorities has been the interests of our
colleagues in Russia and Belarus. As part of the agreement, their employment terms will remain
comparable to their existing BAT terms for at least two years post-completion.

We anticipate that the transaction will complete within the next month, once certain conditions
have been satisfied. Upon completion, BAT will no longer have a presence in Russia or Belarus
and will receive no financial gain from ongoing sales in these markets.

BAT remains confident of delivering its Full Year guidance as set out at our Half Year results on
26 July 2023.



Notes to Editors

   •   BAT’s operations in Russia include a head office in Moscow, 75 regional offices and a
       manufacturing facility in St. Petersburg. BAT also has an office in Belarus.
   •   At 30 June 2023, on a constant currency basis, Russia and Belarus accounted for
       approximately 2.7% of Group revenue, and approximately 2.5% of Group adjusted profit
       from operations.


                                             ENDS
Enquiries
Media Centre
+44 (0) 20 7845 2888 (24 hours) | @BATplc

Investor Relations
Victoria Buxton: +44 (0)20 7845 2012
Amy Chamberlain +44 (0)20 7845 1124
John Harney: +44 (0)20 7845 1263
Jane Henderson +44 (0)207845 1117



About BAT
BAT is a leading, multi-category consumer goods business with a purpose to build A Better
Tomorrow™ by reducing the health impact of its business through offering a greater choice of
enjoyable and less risky products for adult consumers.

The company continues to be clear that combustible cigarettes pose serious health risks, and
the only way to avoid these risks is not to start or to quit. BAT encourages those who would
otherwise continue to smoke to switch completely to scientifically-substantiated, reduced-risk
alternatives*†. In order to deliver this, BAT is transforming into a truly consumer-centric multi-
category consumer products business.

BAT’s ambition is to have 50 million consumers of its non-combustible products by 2030 and to
generate £5billion of New Categories revenue by 2025. BAT has set stretching ESG targets
including achieving carbon neutrality for Scopes 1 & 2 by 2030 and eliminating unnecessary
single-use plastic and making all plastic packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

BAT employs over 50,000 people. The BAT Group generated revenue of £27.65 billion in 2022
and profit from operations of £10.5 billion.

The company’s Strategic Portfolio is made up of its global cigarette brands and a growing range
of reduced-risk*† New Category tobacco and nicotine products and traditional non-combustible
tobacco products. These include vapour, tobacco heating products, modern oral products
including tobacco-free nicotine pouches, as well as traditional oral products such as snus and
moist snuff. In the first half of 2023, we had 24 million consumers of our non-combustible
products, a rise of 1.5 million on full year 2022.
* Based on the weight of evidence and assuming a complete switch from cigarette smoking. These products are not risk
free and are addictive.
† Our vapour product Vuse (including Alto, Solo, Ciro and Vibe), and certain products, including Velo, Grizzly, Kodiak, and
Camel Snus, which are sold in the U.S., are subject to FDA regulation and no reduced-risk claims will be made as to
these products without agency clearance.




Forward-looking statements

This release contains certain forward-looking statements, including "forward-looking" statements made
within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are
often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as "believe," "anticipate," "could,"
"may," "would," "should," "intend," "plan," "potential," "predict," "will," "expect," "estimate," "project,"
"positioned," "strategy," "outlook", "target" and similar expressions. These include statements regarding
our customer target ambition, New Categories revenue targets and our ESG targets.

All such forward-looking statements involve estimates and assumptions that are subject to risks,
uncertainties and other factors. It is believed that the expectations reflected in this release are reasonable
but they may be affected by a wide range of variables that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those currently anticipated. A review of the reasons why actual results and developments may differ
materially from the expectations disclosed or implied within forward-looking statements can be found by
referring to the information contained under the headings “Cautionary Statement” and "Group Principal
Risks " in the 2022 Annual Report and Form 20-F of British American Tobacco p.l.c. (BAT).

Additional information concerning these and other factors can be found in BAT's filings with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including the Annual Report on Form 20-F and Current
Reports on Form 6-K, which may be obtained free of charge at the SEC's website, http://www.sec.gov and
BAT’s Annual Reports, which may be obtained free of charge from the BAT website www.bat.com.
Past performance is no guide to future performance and persons needing advice should consult an
independent financial adviser. The forward-looking statements reflect knowledge and information
available at the date of preparation of this release and BAT undertakes no obligation to update or revise
these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

7 September 2023
Sponsor: Merrill Lynch South Africa (Pty) Ltd t/a BofA Securities