The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has arrived at a final agreement with AB InBev and SABMiller, which will allow Molson Coors to acquire SABMiller’s 58% stake in MillerCoors, besides the Miller brand portfolio outside of the country.

The £71bn proposed merger of AB InBev and SABMiller is still subject to clearance from China, besides other non-regulatory conditions. These are necessary for the transaction to close.

Molson Coors president and CEO Mark Hunter said: “This represents a critical milestone on our journey to take full control of MillerCoors upon the closure of the AB InBev-SABMiller merger.

"We are still awaiting additional closing conditions for the AB InBev-SABMiller merger to be completed."

“The acquisition will allow us to simplify decision-making and reduce the complexities of dual ownership; it will allow us to become a more integrated and efficient brewer; and it will allow us to become a more effective competitor as a single owner, promoting consumer choice in an increasingly diverse and fast-growing brewing industry.”

Hunter continued, “We are still awaiting additional closing conditions for the AB InBev-SABMiller merger to be completed, but we are now well on our way to closing our transaction, which we expect will be completed before the end of the year.”

Molson Coors Brewing sells a portfolio of brands, such as Coors Light, Molson Canadian, Carling, Staropramen, and Blue Moon across the Americas, Europe and Asia.

It operates in Canada through Molson Coors Canada, in the US through MillerCoors, across Europe through Molson Coors Europe, and outside these core markets through Molson Coors International.

Last November, Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch agreed to acquire London-listed SABMiller.