P.J. CARROLL, the Dundalk cigarette manufacturer, has taken over the distribution in the Republic of three US brands, Camel, Winston and Salem. Carroll said the move was a "significant expansion" of its product range.

"The American blend sector in Ireland is growing strongly against the traditional Virginia products," said Carroll. One industry source estimated that Camel had only about 1 per cent of the cigarette market in the Republic while the other two had negligible shares. A spokesperson for Carroll said the plan was to use its large distribution network to expand the sale of the cigarettes.

Tobacco Distributors (TDI), an Irish owned distribution company in Dublin, was the previous distributor of the brands in the domestic market. Carroll was acquired by Rothmans International in 1991.