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Imperial Tobacco Says French, U.K. Cigarette Markets Expanded  

Imperial Tobacco Group Plc, the maker of West and JPS cigarettes, said sales this fiscal year are meeting its expectations as the French and U.K. markets expand.

France consumed 55 billion cigarettes in 2009, 3 percent more than the prior year, while the U.K. duty-paid cigarette market expanded 1 percent to 45.5 billion, the Bristol, England- based company said today in a Regulatory News Service statement.

“We have made a good start to the year with trading in line with our expectations despite the weak economic environment,” Chief Executive Officer Gareth Davis said in the statement. Imperial has raised prices in the U.K., Spain and France since the end of its fiscal year in September, he added.

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