[Intl-tobacco] BAT eyes world's leading tobacco group (fwd)

[Robert Weissman]

BAT eyes world's leading tobacco group
Source: Korea Post , Wednesday, 6/14/00

The following article was contributed to The Korea Post by British
American Tobacco Korea in Seoul for publication on the occasion of the
publication of a Special Report on the United Kingdom.--Ed.

Our vision is to become the world's leading international tobacco group.
We aim to achieve our vision through our strategy of seeking leadership in
individual markets, by growing strong positions in the premium segment,
and by improving our share of the value segment when it makes sense to do
so.

We are confident in the future of the tobacco industry as a dynamic
business with real growth prospects, and have no plans to diversify.

We believe that our brand portfolio, management and financial capacity
will continue to enable us to achieve organic growth in our existing
markets, and to make quick and effective entry into markets where we are
not yet strong. Our business development strategy combines organic growth
and new market entries through acquisition, joint venture or other
strategic alliances.

BAT world's most international tobacco group

British American Tobacco is the world's most international tobacco group,
with an active business presence in more countries than any other.

We acknowledge that along with the pleasures of cigarette smoking come
real risks of serious diseases such as lung cancer, respiratory disease
and heart disease. We also recognise that, for many people, smoking is
difficult to quit.  We accept the significant social responsibilities that
our business entails, while firmly believing that informed adult consumers
should have the right to choose to smoke or not. We compete worldwide for
the business of those who choose to do so.

Over a billion adults around the world choose to smoke, buying some 14.8
billion cigarettes a day. In 1998, the global cigarette market was
approximately 5.4 trillion cigarettes, of which British American Tobacco
and Rothmans International together sold over 900 billion.

In 1998, combined revenue for British American Tobacco and Rothmans
International was over =A1=CC25 billion.

British American Tobacco's brand portfolio is made up of both Virginia and
American blend cigarettes, and includes well-established international
brands such as Dunhill, Lucky Strike, Kent, State Express 555, Rothmans,
Peter Stuyvesant, Benson Hedges, Kool, Pall Mall, Viceroy, Winfield and
Join Player Gold Leaf. We also have interests in smoking tobacco and
cigars, complementing the ready-made cigarette sector.

The new British American Tobacco

Did you know?

Following our merger with Rothmans International in June 1999, British
American Tobacco...

--Has an active business presence in 180 countries with 97 factories and 4
major R&D centers

--Has a global market share of about 17.6% in the premium international
segment with the production of over 800 bil. sticks per year

--Is the market leader in more than 60 countries

--Has a strong portfolio of over 320 brands

--Manufactures in 68 countries

--Employs 90,000 people worldwide

--Countries some =A1=CC13 billion a year to national exchequers worldwide
through excise duties and taxes, well over ten times as much as the
group's profit after tax

--Works with over 250,000 tobacco farmers, providing seed and advice on
planting, growing and harvesting

--Makes the cigarette chosen by more than one in six of the one billion
adults in the world who choose to smoke

--Ranked 5th among the world's most respected food/beverages companies at
the survey conducted by the Financial Times

--And is better positioned for long-term growth in a changing and
challenging business.