Anheuser-Busch InBev says its acquisition of SABMiller remains on track for closure in the second half of this year, having now been approved in 16 different jurisdictions.
AB InBev on Friday announced that the Competition Tribunal of South Africa had approved with conditions its proposed combination with SABMiller.
As a result, AB InBev said clearance decisions with or without conditions had been obtained in Asia-Pacific (Australia, India and South Korea); in Africa (Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, and Zambia); in Europe (the EU, Albania, Turkey and Ukraine); and in Latin America (Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Ecuador).
“In the remaining jurisdictions where regulatory clearance is still pending, AB InBev will continue to engage proactively with the relevant authorities to obtain the necessary clearances as quickly as possible,” the company said.
The deal still requires approval from the United States and China, after AB InBev announced it would appease their respective regulators by offloading SABMiller’s interests in MillerCoors and in the Chinese joint venture CR Snow.
In Australia, SABMiller subsidiary Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) will take control of AB InBev brands on October 1, after AB InBev pre-emptively terminated its distribution agreement with Lion earlier this year.