Tobacco manufacturers Japan Tobacco Group and Altria Group to form a joint venture to market and commercialize heated tobacco sticks in the US. Financial terms were not disclosed. "As part of our strategic focus on HTS, we're very enthusiastic to launch our Ploom brand in the US, the world's largest RRP market in value, through our partnership with the market leader, Altria. We also look forward to entering into a long-term strategic collaboration with Altria to further explore global commercial opportunities in the RRP category. I strongly believe that this cooperation will increase the global harm reduction possibilities for adult consumers and drive incremental value for the JT Group and Altria," Masamichi Terabatake, JT Group CEO and President.