Anglo/Lafarge
joint venture threatens
competition

The Competition Commission has decided provisionally that the proposed UK joint venture between Anglo American plc and Lafarge SA could damage competition in certain markets for construction materials.

In February 2011, Anglo American, through their UK subsidiary Tarmac Ltd, and Lafarge announced a proposal to establish a 50:50 joint venture, to which each of them would contribute the bulk of their construction materials businesses in the UK. The Office of Fair Trading referred the case to the Competition Commission on 2 September 2011.

In a summary of its provisional findings report published...