Concrete proposal

摘要

One game-changer in the global cement market could be the proposed merger between the largest and third largest producers, Lafarge and Holcim. If the deal passes anti-trust scrutiny, the enlarged firm will control around 60% of the global cement market and have a dominant position in Europe. The two companies are confident the US$40B deal could be sealed by early 2015, although this will involve the disposal of assets worth some US$5B. No asset sales are planned in India, China or the US, as attention will be focussed on Europe, where there is significant overlap between the two companies. It is proposed that assets will be divested in Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and the UK.