AMSTERDAM, 11/01/07 - TNT has again made an important acquisition in a rapidly emerging economy. The company has bought Expresso Mercurio, the largest packages delivery company in Brazil.

TNT believes it has an "ideal platform" with this transaction for further expansion in South America. Mercurio has a market share of 15 percent in Brazil and a network connecting up 3,300 towns. It is currently mainly active in the south and southeast of Brazil, but has the ambition to achieve national coverage. The takeover price-tag was not disclosed yesterday.

Within slightly over 12 months, TNT has now made three large acquisitions in rapidly growing markets. In China, its most important purchase was Hoau, the country's biggest freight and packages delivery company. In India, TNT bought the domestic road transport company Speedage.

CEO Peter Bakker announced in March 2004 that he saw India and China as the new spearheads of his policy. After subsequently buying a number of local companies, he said last week that TNT will pause for now in India and China. In the next two years, it will concentrate there on getting its already purchased companies in order.

The purchase of Mercurio will help TNT on the road to becoming market leader in "selected emerging markets," said the company's Express division director Marie-Christine Lombard yesterday. As well as South America, TNT is also interested in South Africa, among other countries. A spokesman yesterday added that Russia also enjoys TNT's attention.

Brazil's domestic express market will grow by 10 to 15 percent in the coming years, according to TNT. It is buying Mercurio with its own cash resources. For 2006, it is expected to report sales of 190 million euros; it has 6,000 employees.

TNT recently bought two new freight aircraft to cope with the substantial flow of goods from China. It does not rule out ordering more freight aircraft later to use on routes to India.