US chocolate manufacturer, Hershey, said it is still open to international expansion and it claims acquisitions will be made easier by the fact that the global chocolate markets are still fragmented. Hershey CEO Mr.David West stated, at the manufacturer’s annual general meeting  that the company still sees opportunity to grow abroad due to recent consolidation in the sector. Industry analysts claimed Hershey would face a tougher global competitive environment following Kraft’s recent acquisition of Cadbury but last month the US chocolate maker reported better-than-expected sales volumes. And at the general assembly Hershey management also reaffirmed the outlook that 2010 net sales are expected to increase at least 6 per cent, including an approximate one point benefit from foreign currency exchange rates.