9710118
B239613

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
BEFORE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

Commissioners:

Robert Pitofsky, Chairman

Sheila F. Anthony

Mozelle W. Thompson

Orson Swindle

In the Matter of

DEGUSSA AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, a corporation, and DEGUSSA CORPORATION, a corporation.

DOCKET NO. C-3813

DECISION AND ORDER

The Federal Trade Commission ("Commission") having initiated an investigation of the proposed acquisition by Degussa Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Degussa Aktiengesellschaft (collectively "Degussa") of the North American hydrogen peroxide assets of E.I. duPont de Nemours & Co. ("DuPont"), and respondents having been furnished with a copy of a draft of complaint which, if issued by the Commission, would charge respondents with a violation of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, as amended, 15 U.S.C. § 45, and a violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act, as amended, 15 U.S.C. § 18; and

The respondents, their attorneys, and counsel for the Commission having thereafter executed an agreement containing a consent order, an admission by the respondents of all the jurisdictional facts set forth in the aforesaid draft of complaint, a statement that the signing of said agreement is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission by the respondents that the law has been violated as alleged in such complaint, and waivers and other provisions as required by the Commission's Rules; and

The Commission, having thereafter considered the matter and having determined that it had reason to believe that the respondents have violated the said Acts, and that a complaint should issue stating its charges in that respect, and having thereupon accepted the executed consent agreement and placed such agreement on the public record for a period of sixty (60) days, now in further conformity with the procedure prescribed in § 2.34 of its Rules, the Commission hereby issues its complaint, makes the following jurisdictional findings and enters the following order:

1. Respondent Degussa Corporation is a corporation organized, existing, and doing business under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Alabama, with its office and principal place of business located at 65 Challenger Road, Ridgefield Park, New Jersey 07060.
2. Respondent Degussa Aktiegesellschaft is a corporation organized, existing, and doing business under and by virtue of the laws of Germany, with its office and principal place of business located at Weissfrauenstrasse 9, D-60287 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
3. The Federal Trade Commission has jurisdiction of the subject matter of this proceeding and of the respondents, and the proceeding is in the public interest.

Order

I.

IT IS ORDERED that, as used in this Order, the following definitions shall apply:

A. "Respondents" or "Degussa" means Degussa Corporation and Degussa Aktiengesellschaft, their directors, officers, employees, agents and representatives, predecessors, successors, and assigns; their subsidiaries, divisions, groups and affiliates controlled by Degussa Corporation and Degussa Aktiengesellschaft, and the respective directors, officers, employees, agents and representatives, successors and assigns of each.

B. "DuPont" means E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., a corporation organized, existing, and doing business under and by virtue of the laws of the state of Delaware, with its office and principal place of business located at 1007 Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 19898.

C. "Commission" means the Federal Trade Commission.

D. "Retained Plants" means the DuPont hydrogen peroxide plants in Memphis, Tennessee, and Maitland, Ontario, Canada, which Degussa does not propose to acquire from DuPont.

E. “Gibbons Plant” means the DuPont Hydrogen Peroxide plant in Gibbons, Alberta, Canada which Degussa proposes to acquire from DuPont.

II.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that for a period of ten (10) years from the date this Order becomes final, Degussa shall not, without the prior approval of the Commission, directly or indirectly, through subsidiaries, partnerships, or otherwise:

A. Acquire more than 1% of the stock, share capital, equity or other interest in any concern, corporate or non-corporate, that owns, controls or otherwise has an interest in the Retained Plants; or

B. Acquire the Retained Plants or any assets of the Retained Plants (excluding the non-exclusive technology licenses that Degussa proposes to acquire in connection with the acquisition of the Gibbons Plant from DuPont).

III.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that for a period of ten (10) years from the date this Order becomes final, Degussa shall not, without prior notification to the Commission, directly or indirectly, through subsidiaries, partnerships, or otherwise:

A. Acquire more than 1% (or, for investment purposes, 5%), of the stock, share capital, equity or other interest in any concern, corporate or non-corporate, that owns, controls or otherwise has an interest in any assets used or previously used (and still suitable for use) in the manufacture, distribution or sale of hydrogen peroxide in North America; or

B. Acquire, in any calendar year, assets, valued at over $15 million, used or previously used (and still suitable for use) in the manufacture, distribution or sale of hydrogen peroxide in North America; provided, however, that nothing herein shall prohibit Degussa, without prior notification to the Commission, from building new or expanding existing hydrogen peroxide manufacturing capacity.

Said prior notification shall be given on the Notification and Report Form set forth in the Appendix to Part 803 of Title 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations as amended (hereinafter referred to as “the Notification”), and shall be prepared and transmitted in accordance with the requirements of that part, except that no filing fee will be required for any such notification, notification shall be filed with the Secretary of the Commission, notification need not be made to the United States Department of Justice, and notification is required only of Respondents and not of any other party to the transaction. Respondents shall provide the Notification to the Commission at least thirty (30) days prior to consummating any such transaction (hereinafter referred to as the “first waiting period”). If, within the first waiting period, representatives of the Commission make a written request for additional information, Respondents shall not consummate the transaction until twenty (20) days after substantially complying with such request for additional information. Early termination of the waiting periods in this paragraph may be requested and, where appropriate, granted by letter from the Bureau of Competition.

Provided, however, that prior notification shall not be required by Paragraph III of this Order for a transaction for which notification is required to be made, and has been made, pursuant to Section 7A of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. § 18a.

IV.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that one (1) year from the date this Order becomes final, annually for the next nine (9) years on the anniversary of the date this Order becomes final, and at other times as the Commission may require, Respondents shall file a verified written report with the Commission setting forth in detail the manner and form in which they have complied and are complying with Paragraphs II and III of this Order.

V.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, for the purpose of determining or securing compliance with this Order, upon written request and reasonable notice, Respondents shall permit any duly authorized representative of the Commission:

A. Access, during normal office hours and in the presence of counsel, to inspect any facilities and to inspect and copy all books, ledgers, accounts, correspondence, memoranda and other records and documents in the possession or under the control of Respondents relating to any matters contained in this Order; and

B. Upon five (5) days' notice to the Respondents, and without restraint or interference, to interview officers, directors, employees, agents or independent contractors of the Respondents, who may have counsel present.

VI.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Respondents shall notify the Commission at least thirty (30) days prior to any proposed change in the Respondents such as dissolution, assignment, sale resulting in the emergence of a successor corporation, or the creation or dissolution of subsidiaries or any other change in the Respondents that may affect compliance obligations arising out of this Order.

VII.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this Order shall terminate on June 10, 2008.

By the Commission.

Donald S. Clark
Secretary

ISSUED: June 10, 1998

SEAL