Holding(s) in Company

TR-1: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES (i)

1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are attached: (ii)

DS Smith Plc

2. Reason for the notification (please mark as appropriate):

An acquisition or disposal of voting rights: ( X )

An acquisition or disposal of qualifying financial instruments which may result in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attached: ( )

An acquisition or disposal of instruments with similar economic effect to qualifying financial instruments: ( X )

An event changing the breakdown of voting rights: ( )

Other (please specify): ( )

3. Full name of person(s) subject to the notification obligation: (iii)

BlackRock Inc.

4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.): (iv)

5. Date of the transaction and date on which the threshold is crossed or reached:(v)

19 March 2010

6. Date on which issuer notified:

22 March 2010

7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached: (vi) (vii)

Holding has gone below 5%

8. Notified details:

A: Voting rights attached to shares (viii)(ix)

Class/type of shares if possible using the ISIN CODE

Situation previous to the triggering transaction




Number of Shares


Number of Voting Rights


GB0008220112

16,553,701

16,553,701

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Class/type of shares if possible using the ISIN CODE

Number of shares

Number of voting rights

% of voting rights (x)







Direct (xi)


Indirect (xii)


Direct


Indirect


16,264,958

4.13%

B: Qualifying Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financial instrument


Expiration date (xiii)




Exercise/Conversion Period (xiv)



Number of voting rights that may be acquired if the instrument is exercised/ converted.

% of voting rights




C: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial Instruments (xv)( xvi)

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financial instrument


Exercise

price




Expiration

date (xvii)

Exercise/

Conversion

period (xviii)



Number of voting rights

instrument refers to

% of voting rights (xix) (xx)




CFD

3,232,033

Nominal

Delta

0.82%

0.82%

Total (A+B+C)

Number of voting rights


Percentage of voting rights


19,496,991

4.95%

9. Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the financial instruments are effectively held, if applicable: (xxi)

BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited - 19,496,991 (4.96%)

Proxy Voting:

10. Name of the proxy holder:

11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease to hold:

12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold voting rights:

13. Additional information:

BlackRock Compliance Disclosures Team

14. Contact name:

Stuart Watchorn

stuart.watchorn@blackrock.com

15. Contact telephone number:

(020) 7743 5741



Annex: Notification of major interests in shares (xxii)

A: Identity of the persons or legal entity subject to the notification obligation

Full name

(including legal form of legal entities)


Contact address

(registered office for legal entities)


Phone number & email


Other useful information

(at least legal representative for legal persons)


B: Identity of the notifier, if applicable

Full name

Carolyn Cattermole

Contact address

DS Smith Plc, Beech House, Whitebrook Park, Maidenhead SL68XY

Phone number & email

01628 583400

carolyn.cattermole@dssmith.co.uk

Other useful information

(e.g. functional relationship with the person or legal entity subject to the notification obligation)


C: Additional information