8-K

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report: September 9, 2003

(Date of earliest event reported)

UNIVERSAL CORPORATION

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Virginia	1-652	54-0414210
(State or Other Jurisdiction	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer
of Incorporation)		Identification No.)

1501 North Hamilton Street	23230
Richmond, Virginia	(Zip Code)
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

(804) 359-9311

Item 5.    Other Events.

The press release issued by the Registrant on September 9, 2003 attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 7.    Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.

(c) Exhibits.

No. Description

99.1 Press release dated September 9, 2003 announcing Canadian processing agreement negotiations.

* Filed Herewith

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	UNIVERSAL CORPORATION (Registrant)
Date: September 9, 2003	By:	/s/    GEORGE C. FREEMAN, III
		George C. Freeman, III General Counsel and Secretary

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Exhibit Index

        Exhibit

        Number        Document

99.1 Press release dated September 9, 2003 announcing Canadian processing agreement negotiations.

* Filed Herewith

4

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

P.O. Box 25099 Richmond, VA 23260 ¨ phone: (804) 359-9311 ¨ fax (804) 254-3594

P  R  E  S  S    R  E  L  E  A  S  E

C O N T A C T	R E L E A S E
Karen M. L. Whelan	Immediately
Phone: (804) 359-9311
Fax: (804) 254-3594
Email: investor@universalleaf.com

Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Incorporated Announces Processing Agreement Negotiations

Richmond, VA • September 9, 2003 / PRNEWSWIRE

Simcoe Leaf Tobacco Company Limited (“Simcoe Leaf”) of Simcoe, Ontario, a subsidiary of Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Incorporated, announced today that last week it signed a memorandum of understanding with Imperial Tobacco Leaf, Inc. (“Imperial”) of Aylmer, Ontario, a subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco Canada, Limited, to enter into an agreement with Imperial to process tobacco at Simcoe Leaf’s processing facility in Ontario. The parties intend to execute a definitive processing agreement with an initial term of five years after consulting the Canadian Competition Bureau.

Larry Phillips, President of Simcoe Leaf, noted, “Processing for Imperial is great for Simcoe Leaf and the entire Canadian tobacco industry. I am excited that Imperial has decided to keep their processing business in Canada. In recent years, there has been a major consolidation in the worldwide tobacco industry and movement of sourcing of flue-cured needs to Brazil and Africa. This new relationship is a strong signal to the world markets that Canadian tobacco concerns, both domestic and export, will strive to achieve efficiencies to maintain the presence of Canadian leaf in the world market.”

Canadian farmers are expected to produce about 44 million kilos of flue-cured tobacco in 2003.

Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Inc. is a subsidiary of Universal Corporation (NYSE-UVV), a diversified company with operations in tobacco, lumber, and agri-products. Universal Corporation’s gross revenues for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2003, were approximately $2.6 billion. For more information, visit Universal’s web site at www.universalcorp.com.

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