Imperial Tobacco announced that the US National Association of Attorneys General has approved its application to join the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) as a participating manufacturer.

Once it has formally joined the MSA – an agreement between cigarette makers that restricts advertising and is a prerequisite to selling tobacco in the US – Imperial will be able to sell its European brands such as Davidoff in the United States.
While commenting on the approval, Gareth Davis, Imperial CEO, stated that the company has to complete a formal brand registration process before launching any new brands in the US. This process should be concluded in the coming weeks, Davis noted.
Imperial already sells cigarettes locally through Commonwealth Brands, which it purchased in April for USD 1.9 billion, and will acquire the biggest US cigar operations when it completes its purchase of Spain's Altadis in 2008. (pi)