BIC: European anti-dumping tax on Chinese flint lighters imports renewal procedure.

Regulatory News:

Following the information published in the French press, BIC (Paris:BB) has received confirmation from European Union Commission DG Trade that it had issued a negative recommendation concerning the opening of the renewal procedure of the anti-dumping duty on Chinese flint lighters, recommendation that it has communicated to the Member States for advisory opinion on November 26, 2012. The final decision must be published before December 13, 2012.

The objective of this anti-dumping tax, set up in 1991, is to restore the conditions for a fair and loyal competition to allow European lighter producers to trade on equal terms with their competitors and to give them the ability to maintain jobs on our continent.

For 20 years, this regulation has been difficult to enforce, many producers having multiplied ways to circumvent it through false declarations, claiming especially that their lighters were produced in Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia and now Vietnam.

Today, the European Commission recommends not to open the inquiry for a possible renewal of the anti-dumping tax, while another procedure is under way with the prospect of an extension of the anti-dumping tax to Vietnam, that has become the major country of circumvention through false declaration of origin.

Contrary to what was stated in the press, the BIC Group has provided to the Commission evidence of the damage caused by Chinese lighters imports at dumping prices. Thus, as an example, as indicated to the Commission, the BIC Group market share is less than half of its share in North America or Latin America, while the income from operations margin achieved in lighters within the European Union is lower by almost half than total Group lighter income from operations.

Bruno Bich, Chairman of the Board BIC said: "Our group has never feared competition and even considers it a force of progress, however, it must be fair. By requiring the renewal of this tax, long remained ineffective, we simply ask for the application of fair trade rules. Our case was and remains solid. We do not understand the recommendation of the European Commission's DG Trade, which, without reason, goes against the legitimate interests of the European industry."

This document contains forward-looking statements. Although BIC believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, these statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. A description of the risks borne by BIC appears in the section, "Risk factors" in BIC's 2011 Registration Document filed with the French financial markets authority (AMF) on March 27, 2012.

For more information, please consult the corporate web site: www.bicworld.com

2012 – 2013 Agenda (all dates to be confirmed)

FY 2012 results	Â	Â	February 13, 2013	Â	Â	Meeting – Company headquarters
1st Quarter 2013 results	Â	Â	April 24, 2013	Â	Â	Conference call
2nd Quarter and 1st Half 2013 results	Â	Â	August 1, 2013	Â	Â	Conference call
3rd Quarter 2013 results	Â	Â	October 23, 2013	Â	Â	Conference call
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About BIC

BIC is a world leader in stationery, lighters, shavers and promotional products. For more than 60 years, BIC has honored the tradition of providing high-quality, affordable products to consumers everywhere. Through this unwavering dedication, BIC has become one of the most recognized brands in the world. BIC products are sold in more than 160 countries around the world. In 2011, BIC recorded net sales of 1,824.1 million euros. The Company is listed on "Euronext Paris" and is part of the SBF120 and CAC Mid 60 indexes. BIC is also part of the following SRI indexes: FTSE4Good Europe, ASPI Eurozone, Ethibel Excellence Europe, Gaia Index and Stoxx Global ESG Index.

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