Commission européenne, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Bruxelles, BELGIQUE  
Europese Commissie, DG COMP MERGER REGISTRY, 1049 Brussel,   BELGIË  
 
Tel: +32 229- 91111. Fax: +32 229 -64301. E -mail: COMP -MERGER -REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu.  
  EUROPEAN COMMISSION  
Brussels,  1.7.2019  
C(2019)  5101 final  
PUBLIC VERSION 
To the notifying parties  
Subject : Case M. 9384 – SUMITOMO CORPORATION / NIPPON STEEL 
CORPORATION / STANDARD STEEL HOLDINGS  
Commission decision pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) of Council Regulation 
(EC) No  139/20041 and Article 57 of the Agreement on the European 
Economic Area2 
Dear Sir or Madam,  
1. On 6 June 2019, the European Commission received notification of a proposed 
concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger  Regulation by which Sumitomo 
Corporation (‘Sumitomo’, Japan)  and Nippon Steel Corporation (‘NSC’, Japan)  
acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the M erger Regulation joint control 
of the whole of Standard Steel Holdings, Inc. (‘Standard Steel’, U.S.), currently 
controlled by NSC via its wholly -owned subsidiary Nippon Steel North America, Inc. 
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shar es.3 
2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:  
− for Sumitomo: an integrated trading and investing company, providing a 
comprehensive range of services and products in Japan and around the world.  
It is active in various sectors such as: tra ding of metal products, transportation 
and construction of systems, environment and infrastructure, chemicals and 
electronics, media, networks and lifestyle related goods, mineral resources, 
energy and life sciences,  
− for NSC: manufacturing and supplying of  steel products such as steel plate and 
sheets, steel bars and sections, wire rods, steel pipes and tubes, as well as 
stainless steel products and titanium products , 
                                                 
1 OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 ( the 'Merger Regulation '). With effect from 1 December 2009,  the Treaty on 
the Functioning of the European Union ( 'TFEU ') has introduced certain changes, such as the 
replacement of 'Community ' by 'Union ' and 'common market ' by 'internal market '. The terminology of 
the TFEU will be used throughout this decision.  
2  OJ L 1, 3.1.1994, p . 3 (the 'EEA Agreement '). 
3  Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 203, 17.6.2019, p. 3. 

2 − for Standard Steel: manufacturing forged steel wheels and axles for freight 
railcars, loco motives and passenger railcars, which operates primarily in North 
America.  
3. After examination of the notification, the European Commission has concluded that 
the notified operation falls within the scope of the Merger  Regulation and of 
paragraph 5( a) of the  Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of 
certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No  139/2004.4 
4. For the reasons set out in the Notice on a simplified procedure, the European 
Commission has decided not to oppose the notified operation and to declare it 
compatible with the internal market and with the EEA Agreement. This decision is 
adopted in application of Article 6(1)(b) of the Merger  Regulation  and Article 57 of 
the EEA Agreement . 
For the Commission 
 
 
(Signed)  
Johannes LAI TENBERGER 
Director -General  
                                                 
4  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.