Canada: Companhia de Bebidas das Américas - AmBev (the “Company”) announced on March 17 that the Board of Directors of the Company approved, without any remarks, the merger of Labatt Brewing Canada Holding Ltd., a company organized under the laws of Bahamas, with headquarters at Fort Nassau Centre, Marlborough Street, P.O. Box N-4875, Nassau, Bahamas (“Labatt Holding” and, collectively with the Company, the “Companies”), into the Company, being both companies under the same control at the time of the merger, which shall occur upon the merger of the net worth of Labatt Holding into the Company (the “Merger”).

AmBev said that the Merger is part of a broad association plan of the Company with Interbrew S.A., a corporation organized under the laws of Belgium, with headquarters at Vaarstraat 94, Leuven (“Interbrew”), the indirect holder of 100% of Labatt Holding’s shares. Labatt Holding is a holding company which shall hold as its main asset, in the moment of the merger, the equity interest of 99.9% in Labatt Holding B.V., a company organized under the laws of Holland, with headquarters at Ceresstraat 19,4811 CA Breda (“Labatt Holding B.V.”), also a holding company that, in its turn, will hold as its main asset, in the moment of the merger, the equity interest held in Labatt Brewing Company Limited, a corporation organized under the federal laws of Canada, with headquarters at 207 Queen’s Quay West, suite 299, Toronto (“Labatt”). Following the Merger, the Company shall hold, directly or indirectly, 100% of the shares issued by Labatt.

AmBev wrote in a press release that it will continue to be a company dedicated to the production and trade of beers, concentrates, sodas and other beverages, concentrating however, after the Merger, its operations in the Americas, in combination with Interbrew’s strength in Europe and in Asia.

AmBev disclosed in the Press Releases that the management of the Companies believe that the Merger will bring benefits to the Company, as it will result in the combination of savings with technical, supply and other general and administrative costs, also generating material commercial synergies.

18 March, 2004