Kirin Holdings has offered to buy the rest of Australia-based beer and wine producer Lion Nathan.

The company currently owns a 46.3% stake in Lion Nathan and has offered to buy the remaining 53.87%  of shares in order to make Lion Nathan a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kirin Holdings.

Following a request by Lion Nathan, the Australian Securities Exchange and the New Zealand Stock Exchange Lion Nathan’s shares into a trading halt. The trading halt will last until Lion Nathan makes an announcement in relation to the proposal or until normal trading resumes on 27 April 2009.

Lion Nathan has formed a committee of directors who are independent of Kirin, to consider the proposal and to conduct discussions and negotiations with Kirin in the interests of the non-Kirin shareholders.