The European Commission on Friday widened its antitrust probe into the proposed acquisition of Rio Tinto Inc by BHP Billiton Ltd, saying an initial investigation revealed concerns about higher prices and reduced choice for EU customers of the mining concerns.
Both are British-Australian dual-listed companies mining and marketing iron ore, coal, uranium, aluminum, mineral sands, copper and diamonds and other base metals and industrial minerals.
Under EU rules, the Commission now has until Nov. 11 to make a final decision.
EU antitrust chief Neelie Kroes said in a statement that the “commodities produced by BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto are basic inputs for major industrial sectors” that are key to the competitiveness of European industries.
“The recent surge in commodity prices has had a serious impact on the industries buying these commodities, their customers and ultimately all the consumers in Europe and elsewhere in the world,” she added. “In this very sensitive context any change making the situation worse could be extremely harmful.”
Billiton’s takeover of Rio Tinto would combine the No. 2 and No.
3 iron miners and allow them to overtake Companhia Vale do Rio Doce, the world’s largest iron ore miner.
Rio Tinto has said BHP Billiton’s offer undervalues it. BHP Billiton made a hostile, all-equity bid in February, then valued at US$147.4 billion, for Rio Tinto. At 3.4 of BHP shares for every Rio Tinto share, the value of the deal fluctuates with share prices.
The acquisition will need EU, US and Australian regulatory approval.
In May, European steelmakers urged Kroes to block the merger saying it would allow a new iron giant to fix prices for steel’s key raw material.
The Commission indicated its preliminary investigation suggested the same thing.
The Billiton-Rio Tinto linkup will get a “significant share in the supply of iron ore and together with its next competitor would control a very large part of iron ore supplies,” it said.
It said there was a serious risk that “the planned takeover could have a negative impact on the outcome of price negotiations with steel customers. Furthermore there is a serious risk that the merged entity might have the incentive to reduce the scale of its investment projects or slow down such investment, and so reduce supplies available on the market and increase prices.”
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