The European Commission (EC) has approved US-based Ball’s proposed $4.96bn acquisition of Britain’s beverage-can maker Rexam.

Ball provides new and sustainable packaging solutions for beverage, food, and household products, while
UK’s Rexam manufactures beverage cans for various brands.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

In addition, the EC has approved Luxembourg-based packaging firm Ardagh Group’s proposed acquisition of certain Ball and Rexam businesses.

"The acquisition will not raise competition concerns because Ardagh is not active in the manufacturing of beverage cans or related markets."

In a statement, EC concluded "the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, because Ardagh is not active in the manufacturing of beverage cans or related markets."

In April this year, Ball announced plans to sell certain manufacturing facilities in Europe, the US, and Brazil to Ardagh. They have offered to sell 12 plants across Europe, eight sites in the US and two in Brazil, as well as several other functions in Germany, the UK, Switzerland, Brazil, and the US.

Ball received final unconditional regulatory clearance in Brazil and is working to obtain the remaining US regulatory clearance soon, enabling the proposed acquisition of Rexam to close.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Packaging Gateway Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Packaging Gateway Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Oxipack’s deterministic vacuum decay systems have earned multiple awards, recognising breakthroughs in leak detection machinery and waste prevention. Learn how Oxipack is helping manufacturers protect product quality, support recyclable and paper-based formats, and improve line efficiency with fast, non-destructive testing.

Discover the Impact