A U.S. judge on Wednesday granted the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) a preliminary injunction blocking chemical maker Tronox’s pending acquisition of Saudi Arabian peer Cristal’s titanium dioxide business.
The FTC, which filed a complaint in July, first objected to the deal last year, saying the merger would reduce competition in the market.
Tronox and Cristal, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Tasnee, are two of the three top suppliers of chloride process titanium dioxide, used to make paint, plastic, paper and other products, the FTC had then said.
Tronox said on Wednesday that it intends to appeal and will request an expedited hearing.
The company will also consider whether to proceed with the divestiture of Cristal’s Ashtabula, Ohio, two-plant titanium dioxide production complex.
Tronox’s shares were up marginally at $15.61.
By Karan Nagarkatti
Source: Reuters
The deal includes the 600kt Acetic Acid plant and all associated third party activities on the site. Eastman and INEOS have also entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to explore options for a long-term supply agreement for vinyl acetate monomer.
The Supervisory Board of Borealis has accepted the decision of Lucrèce Foufopoulos-De Ridder, EVP Polyolefins, Circular Economy Solutions and Innovation & Technology to step down from her executive position at Borealis, and the Board of Borouge Pte effective 31 December 2023 to pursue other career opportunities.
Sidel has launched a new 100% rPET bottle base, StarLiteR, aiming to help carbonated soft drink (CSD) packaging producers embrace material circularity. StarLiteR allows CDS producers to switch to rPET bottle production easily and efficiently, while significantly reducing the impact on product quality or packaging integrity.