Altria goes into partnership with JTI to tackle US heated tobacco market

Altria has announced a strategic partnership with JT Group in a move to expand its heated tobacco portfolio. The two tobacco giants will jointly establish Horizon Innovations LLC, which will be responsible for US marketing and commercialisation of heated tobacco stick products owned and developed by either company.

The announcement follows hard on the heels of a $2.7bn agreement between Altria and Philip Morris International (PMI) on exclusive rights to sell Iqos heated tobacco products in the US.