The Leader in Latin Beverages, Fomento Económico Mexicano, S.A. de C.V.(FEMSA), and Belgian brewer Interbrew jointly announced on April 9 that Bass Ale® will enter the Labatt USA (LUSA) portfolio for a twelve to eighteen month period beginning July 1, 2003, when U.S. importing and marketing rights for the brand will be transferred from Guinness Bass Import Company to Interbrew. As part of the LUSA portfolio, Bass Ale® will be given the full support of Interbrew, including a commitment to the development of marketing plans, distributor programming and trade support. This agreement also allows the existing core brands of the Labatt USA portfolio to benefit from incremental marketing support and sales resources, Interbrew reported.

This temporary arrangement gives Labatt USA distribution and marketing responsibility for Bass Ale® in the U.S., and also gives LUSA a twelve to eighteen month period to establish the best development plan for the brand in the U.S. During the period of the agreement, Labatt USA and its joint venture partners, Interbrew and FEMSA Cerveza, will continue to assess the desirability of a longer-term arrangement for LUSA to serve as the U.S. distributor of Bass Ale®.

Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., Labatt USA imports and brews a broad portfolio of high quality beers, including Rolling Rock®, Labatt Blue®, Tecate®, Dos Equis®, and Stella Artois®. Labatt USA is a joint venture of Labatt Brewing Co. Ltd., Canada, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Interbrew S.A. of Belgium, and of FEMSA Cerveza S.A. de C.V. of Mexico, subsidiary of FEMSA.

FEMSA is Latin America's largest beverage company in terms of sales. Founded in 1890 and headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico, FEMSA is strategically comprised of and operates by means of several subsidiaries. FEMSA Cerveza produces, distributes and exports various brands of beer such as Tecate®, Carta Blanca®, Superior®, Sol®, XX Lager®, Dos Equis®, and Bohemia®.

10 April, 2003