Anheuser-Busch Plays the Cuban Card with InBev

Anheuser-Busch refuses to go down easily.

As InBev grows more aggressive with respect to its bid to take over Anheuser-Busch, A-B has started fighting back. This week, A-B filed a lawsuit against InBev in Missouri. A key issue in the suit? InBev’s operations in Cuba. According to the complaint, InBev’s “business in Cuba is substantial, with more than 570 full-time employees, distribution centers located throughout the country, and sales accounting for 44 percent of total beer sales on the island.”

And this matters why?

Th US has regulations that prohibit just such a venture, notably the (and I’m not making this up) Trading with the Enemy Act.

For more on what A-B (and its lawyers) have to say about the acquisition, you can read the entire complaint (download here as a pdf). For InBev’s side of the story, check out this InBev web site, created specifically to deal with the proposed acquisition.