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NEW YORK — Altria, the U.S. leader in cigarettes, wants to be No. 1 in smokeless products too. The company said Monday it will buy UST, the maker of Skoal and Copenhagen, in a $10.4 billion deal that is part of the wider consolidation of the global tobacco industry. And Lorillard could be next on the list of potential targets.
Altria owns the Marlboro brand and Philip Morris USA. Its acquisition of UST will give it a strong position in smokeless tobacco, a segment of the U.S. market that is growing as cigarettes decline.
