The last antitrust hurdle facing the acquisition by British American Tobacco (of Reynolds American (RAI) has been removed with approval from Japanese antitrust regulators, BAT said.

US regulators previously had raised no objections to the nearly USD 50 billion deal under which BAT would acquire the 58 per cent of RAI not already under the its control. With Japanese approval, “together with the previously announced expiry of the (US Hart-Scott Rodino Antitrust Improvements) Act waiting period, the conditions related to antitrust approvals required as part of the closing conditions to the proposed acquisition have now been satisfied,” BAT said. The transaction is expected to be closed in the third quarter of 2017.