Amcor to demerge Australasia business Global packaging firm Amcor plans to split its Australasia and Packaging Distribution (AAPD) business from its other operations and list the new entity on the local share market. Amcor said the demerger would enable both Amcor and the separated business to pursue their own strategies and growth plans. "Although Amcor and AAPD are both packaging companies, they are actually very different in terms of product segments and geographic focus," Amcor chief executive Ken MacKenzie said in a statement. Amcor makes flexible and rigid plastic packaging, while AAPD operates in the fibre, glass and beverage can packaging markets in Australasia, plus packaging distribution in North America and Australia. The demerger will need to be approved by shareholders, and is expected to be completed by December 2013. Shares in Amcor were up 29.5 cents, or 2.7 per cent, at $10.88 at 1108 AEST. AAPD made a pre-tax loss of $36.8 million in the first half of the 2012/13 financial year. The result for AAPD included a $119.6 million before tax charge from restructuring expenses, which included $86.1 million of asset value writedowns.