Nippon Steel, Sumitomo Metals Get Green Light for Merger

Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal Industries got approval for proposed merger from Ministry of Commerce of China. The companies got approvals necessity to the merger from authorities of all countries including offshore countries. Japan Fair Trade Commission approved the plan late 2011.

Ministry of Commerce of China notified it will not prohibit the proposed merger of Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metals on Friday. The approval is earlier than the deadline of 180 days after the application.

The authorities of India, which activate the laws of company consolidation in June, approved the merger of Japanese steel makers. The steel makers got approval from authorities in South Korea and Singapore in this year.

Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metals accelerate the process toward the merger in October. The companies cannot share information to prevent their competition before the merger. But the companies are allowed to share the information necessity to the merger. The companies seek competitive production and sales network and try to start the operation of the combined company in October.