Tronox receives approval from European Commission ahead of Cristal acquisition

Tronox Limited, a global mining and inorganic chemicals company, has received final approval from the European Commission to close its proposed acquisition of the titanium dioxide (TiO₂) business of Cristal (The National Titanium Dioxide Company Limited), a privately held global chemical and mining company headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The final approval was issued following the European Commission’s conclusion that Venator Materials is a suitable purchaser of Tronox’s 8120 paper-laminate product grade currently supplied to European customers from Tronox’s Botlek facility in The Netherlands.

Divesture of this product grade was the condition set forth in the conditional approval granted to Tronox by the European Commission on July 4, 2018.

Consummation of the divestiture of the 8120 paper-laminate product grade will occur following approval of the overall Cristal acquisition transaction by USA regulatory authorities, which Tronox is vigorously pursuing in the US District Court of the District of Columbia.

"We are pleased to receive the European Commission’s final approval and look forward to consummating this highly synergistic combination designed to increase asset utilisation, lower our cost position, unlock incremental product volumes to serve growing global markets and create significant long-term value for our customers and shareholders,” said Jeffry N Quinn, President and CEO of Tronox.

"With the post-trial briefing in the administrative proceeding before the US Federal Trade Commission and the preliminary injunction hearing in US District Court recently completed, we are focused on securing approval to complete the acquisition and transforming Tronox into the industry’s premier TiO₂ company.”

In addition to receiving final approval from the European Commission, Australia, China, New Zealand, Turkey, South Korea, Colombia and Saudi Arabia have also approved the proposed acquisition.

The United States Federal Trade Commission remains the final regulatory authority reviewing the transaction.