EU: Hyundai’s $1.8B shipbuilding deal with Daewoo faces probe

World No. 1 shipbuilding group Hyundai Heavy Industries $1.8 billion merger with rival shipbuilder Daewoo will face a full-scale investigation in Europe due to serious EU antitrust concerns, two people familiar with the matter said on Monday.  

Hyundai in January announced the deal to create the world’s biggest shipbuilder with a 21 percent market share, in part a response to over-capacity in the industry. 

The European Commission will launch an investigation into the deal next week following a preliminary review which ends on Dec. 17, Reuters reported.

A full-scale investigation can take up to five months and in most cases ends with companies forced to sell off assets or transfer technology or contracts to rivals to address competition concerns. 

The deal also requires regulatory clearance in South Korea, Singapore, China and Japan. Kazakhstan has already given the green light. Hyundai last week said it was working with Singapore’s regulators to allay their concerns.

Full Content: Reuters

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