12th Jun 2007 08:46
British American Tobacco PLC12 June 2007 Press Release 12 June 2007 Tender Offer by BNP Paribas for B.A.T. International Finance p.l.c.'s Notes NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN THE UNITED STATES OR ITALY (SEE FULL TENDER OFFER AND DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTIONS BELOW) BNP Paribas has announced an invitation to holders (the "Noteholders") of the€1,700,000,000 4.875 per cent. Notes due 2009 (ISIN: XS0094703799) issued byB.A.T. International Finance p.l.c. and guaranteed by British American Tobaccop.l.c., B.A.T Industries p.l.c., British American Tobacco Mexico, S.A. de C.V.(formerly known as BAT Mexico, S.A. de C.V.), B.A.T Capital Corporation andB.A.T Finance B.V. (the "Notes") to offer to sell a target amount of€750,000,000 (subject to amendment and variation) of the Notes to BNP Paribasfor cash (the "Tender Offer"), as more particularly described in a tender offermemorandum dated 12 June 2007 (the "Tender Offer Memorandum"). Eligible Noteholders are advised to read carefully the Tender Offer Memorandumfor full details of and information on the procedures for participating in theTender Offer. BNP Paribas, Citigroup Global Markets Limited and J.P. MorganSecurities Ltd. are acting as Joint Dealer Managers. Citibank, N.A. is actingas Tender Agent. Requests for information in relation to the Tender Offer should be directed to: Joint Dealer Managers BNP PARIBAS Citigroup Global Markets Limited J.P. Morgan Securities Ltd. 10 Harewood Avenue Citigroup Centre 125 London Wall London NW1 6AA Canada Square London EC2Y 5AJ Attention: Debt Restructuring Canary Wharf Attention: Peter Capel Group London E14 5LB Email: Email: Attention: Liability Management Group [email protected] [email protected] Email: Tel: +44 (0) 20 7155 4914 Tel: +44 (0) 20 7595 8668 [email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 20 7986 8969 Requests for information in relation to the procedures for tendering Notes inthe Tender Offer and the submission of tender instructions should be directedto: The Tender Agent Citibank, N.A. Citigroup Centre Canada Square Canary Wharf London E14 5LB Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 20 7508 3867 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7508 3866 The Tender Offer Memorandum is available for inspection at the offices of theJoint Dealer Managers and the Tender Agent and at the Document Viewing Facilityof the Financial Services Authority, 25 The North Colonnade, London E14 5HS. Tender Offer and Distribution Restrictions The distribution of this announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum in certainjurisdictions may be restricted by law. Neither this announcement nor the TenderOffer Memorandum constitutes an offer to buy or a solicitation of an offer tosell any Notes, and tenders of Notes in the Tender Offer will not be acceptedfrom Noteholders in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation isunlawful. United States The Tender Offer is not being made and will not be made, directly or indirectly,in or into, or by use of the mails of, or by any means or instrumentality(including, without limitation, facsimile transmission, telex, telephone, emailand other forms of electronic transmission) of interstate or foreign commerceof, or any facility of a national securities exchange of, the United States, andthe Notes may not be tendered in the Tender Offer by any such use, means,instrumentality or facility from or within the United States or by personslocated or resident in the United States. Accordingly, copies of thisannouncement, the Tender Offer Memorandum and any other documents or materialsrelating to the Tender Offer are not being, and must not be, directly orindirectly, mailed or otherwise transmitted, distributed or forwarded in or intothe United States or to persons located or resident in the United States. Anypurported tender of Notes in the Tender Offer resulting directly or indirectlyfrom a violation of these restrictions will be invalid and tenders of Notes madeby a person located in the United States or any agent, fiduciary or otherintermediary acting on a non-discretionary basis for a principal givinginstructions from within the United States will not be accepted. For thepurposes of this paragraph, United States means the United States of America,its territories and possessions, any state of the United States of America andthe District of Columbia. United Kingdom The communication of this Tender Offer Memorandum and any other documents ormaterials relating to the Tender Offer is not being made, and such documents and/or materials have not been approved, by an authorised person for the purposesof section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Accordingly, suchdocuments and/or materials are not being distributed to, and must not be passedon to, the general public in the United Kingdom, and are only for circulation topersons outside the United Kingdom or to persons within the United Kingdomfalling within the definition of investment professionals (as defined in Article19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order2005 (the Order)) or to other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated inaccordance with the Order. Italy The Tender Offer is not being made in the Republic of Italy (Italy). The TenderOffer, this announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum have not been submittedto the clearance procedures of the Commissione Nazionale per le Societa e laBorsa (CONSOB) pursuant to Italian laws and regulations. Accordingly,Noteholders are notified that, to the extent Noteholders are resident and/orlocated in Italy, the Tender Offer is not available to them and they may nottender Notes in the Tender Offer and, as such, any tender instructions receivedfrom or on behalf of such persons shall be ineffective and void, and none ofthis announcement, the Tender Offer Memorandum or any other documents ormaterials relating to the Tender Offer or the Notes may be distributed or madeavailable in Italy. Belgium The Tender Offer is not being made, directly or indirectly, to the public inBelgium. The Tender Offer Memorandum has not been and will not be notified tonor approved by the Belgian Banking, Finance and Insurance Commission(Commission Bancaire, Financiere et des Assurances/Commissie voor het Bank,Financie en Assurantiewezen) and neither the Tender Offer Memorandum nor anyother documents or materials relating to the Tender Offer have been, or will be,approved by the Belgian Banking, Finance and Insurance Commission. Accordingly,the Tender Offer may not be advertised and neither the Tender Offer Memorandumnor any such documents or materials may be distributed or made available inBelgium other than to institutional investors, as referred to in article 10 ofthe Law of 16 June 2006 on the public offer of investment instruments and theadmission to trading of investment instruments on a regulated market, acting fortheir own account. France The Tender Offer is not being made, directly or indirectly, to the public in theRepublic of France (France). The Tender Offer, this announcement and the TenderOffer Memorandum and any other documents or materials relating to the TenderOffer have not been nor will be distributed to the public in France and only (i)providers of investment services relating to portfolio management for theaccount of third parties and/or (ii) qualified investors (investisseursqualifies) other than individuals, all as defined in, and in accordance with,Articles L.411-1, L.411-2 and D.411-1 of the French Code monetaire et financier,are eligible to participate in the Tender Offer. Neither the Tender Offer northe Tender Offer Memorandum have been or will be submitted to or approved by theAutorite des Marches Financiers. Enquiries For further information: British American Tobacco p.l.c.Investor Relations: Press Office: Ralph Edmondson +44 20 7845 1180 David Betteridge/Kate +44 20 7845 2888Rachael Brierley Matrunola/Catherine +44 20 7845 1519 Armstrong www.bat.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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