Reynolds American Inc.'s International Division has announced that it is to buy back the rights to sell several cigarette brands to US duty free shops and US overseas military bases from Japan Tobacco by the

end of this year.
Brands which will return to the Reynolds stable will include the mainstays of Camel, Winston and Salem. Japan Tobacco bought the international rights to those brands in 1999 when it bought R.J. Reynolds Tobacco International for $8bn from RJR Nabisco Holdings Corp.
‘The addition of these strong brands to our portfolio will enable us to consolidate our marketing efforts to our US adult smokers who purchase products in these two channels,’ said John Scarritt, President of R.J. Reynolds Global Products Inc.
‘These are important brands in US duty free and US military outlets, and we can leverage our existing infrastructure more efficiently, while achieving greater economies of scale, by enhancing our existing strong brand lineup.’