The group has issued its trading up date for the period from January and added that overall beverage can volumes were up 5%. Growth was strong in the UK, Russia, Germany and Italy. Rexam said that the boost in volumes was driven by energy drinks.
Graham Chipchase, Rexam’s Chief Executive said: “Overall performance so far this year has been in line with our plans. Volume growth has been strong in Europe with good growth in energy drinks. Volumes in India and Egypt continued to perform well offsetting some softness in the Middle East. In North America, the soft drinks market remains challenging, but we did see growth in specialty volumes. South America volumes, after a strong start to the year, slowed down towards the end of the quarter, as expected.
“We continue to expect 2015 to present a tough trading environment, but, as ever, we will focus on tight cost management and the elements of our business that we know we can control.”
In February, rival can maker Ball Corporation struck an agreement to acquire Rexam. The deal is now subject to the approval of Ball shareholders in August.
