London-The Competition Commission reviewing the planned Terra Industries Inc. and Kemira GrowHow Oyj joint venture in the U.K., has provisionally concluded that the jv could damage competition in the market supply of carbon dioxide as well as those of related chemical products. The jv would merge the greater part of the UK businesses of these two companies, which are both fertilizer producers but also sell chemicals which are outputs from their processes. The commission is particularly concerned about the markets for carbon dioxide, 58-60 percent concentration nitric acid, aqueous ammonia and anhydrous ammonia. The commission notes that while fertilizer customers would still have the option of imports, that users of other products would have few, if any, alternatives. A summary of the findings can be found at www.competition-commission.org.uk. The commission is soliciting comments from interested parties in writing by May 25. Evidence may be submitted to susan.maunsell@cc.gsi.gov.uk. The final commission report is expected to be published July 12, 2007.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain