AUSTRALIA (From The Australian) -- Amcor has struck a deal to bolster its specialty containers operations with the $US280 million acquisition of a North American business serving personal care and food markets.

Amcor said it had agreed to buy the rigid plastics blow-moulding operations of Sonoco Products, which has six production sites in the US and one in Canada.

The operations generate annual sales of about $US210 million, and the acquisition price represents a multiple of eight times earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation for the last 12 months, Melbourne-based Amcor said.