Perfetti Van Melle Group B.V. entered into definitive agreement to acquire the developed market gum business of Mondelez International, Inc. for $1.4 billion on December 16, 2022. The deal includes manufacturing facilities in Rockford, Illinois and Skarbimierz, Poland and the gum brands Trident, Dentyne, Stimorol, Hollywood, V6, Chiclets, Bubbaloo and Bubblicious in the United States, Canada and Europe, as well as the European candy brands Cachou Lajaunie, Negro, and La Vosgienne. Mondelez International will continue to operate its gum business outside the United States, Canada and Europe, led by Stride in China, as well as all of its other candy brands and products. Gum & Candy business of Mondelez reported a revenue of $2.9 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021.

The transaction, which is subject to relevant antitrust approvals and closing conditions, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2023. As of October 2, 2023, Mondelez has completed the sale of its developed-market gum business in the United States, Canada and Europe, excluding Portugal, to Perfetti Van Melle Group. Mondelez retains emerging market gum business across Latin America and Asia, Middle East and Africa. The Portugal portion of the business is being retained by Mondelez pending regulatory clearance from the Portuguese Competition Authority, which the parties expect will be forthcoming in the near term. Mondelez is retaining the Portugal portion of the business until regulatory approval is granted in that jurisdiction, after which the parties have agreed the Portugal portion of the business will be sold and transferred to Perfetti Van Melle Group.

Roberto Casati and Lucio D'Amario of Linklaters Studio Legale Associato, Thomas A McGrath of Linklaters LLP (USA), and, Chris Smale, Yohan Liyanage, Michael Fanner and Marly Didizian of Linklaters LLP acted as legal advisors to Perfetti Van Melle. Daniel Hasler and Richard Stäuber of Homburger AG acted as a Swiss counsel to Perfetti Van Melle. Robert Crothers, Dominic Ross, Joel Ziff, Vanessa Marsland, Chinwe Odimba-Chapman, Nicola Hemsley, Greg Olsen, Sue Hinchliffe, Timothy Cornell, Sonia Gilbert, Gilles Lebreton of Clifford Chance LLP acted as legal advisor to Mondelez International, Inc. UBS Group AG (SWX:UBSG) acted as financial advisor to Perfetti Van Melle Group B.V. Will Nevin, Pritika Advani, Simone Egidi, Gabrielle Wong, Alex Aitken, Armando García-Mendoza of Herbert Smith Freehills New York LLP acted as legal advisor to BNP Paribas and Perfetti Van Melle Group B.V.