Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10411 – ABM / YKA / HEBEI MAURI) Candidate case for simplified procedure (Text with EEA relevance) 2021/C 514 I/04
Date: 2021-12-21
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: economic concentration, food industry, merger control, retail selling, vegetable oil








CI2021514EN.01001901.xml










21.12.2021   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


CI 514/19






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.10411 – ABM / YKA / HEBEI MAURI)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2021/C 514 I/04)

1.   
On 14 December 2021, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).
This notification concerns the following undertakings:






—


Associated British Foods plc (‘ABF’, United Kingdom),










—


Wilmar International Limited (‘Wilmar’, Singapore),










—


AB Mauri Yihai Kerry Investment Company Limited (‘AB Mauri’, China), a full-function joint venture between ABF and Wilmar,










—


Hebei Mauri Food Co., Ltd. (‘Hebei Mauri’ or the ‘Target’ China), controlled by ABF.




Through AB Mauri, ABF and Wilmar acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of the whole of Hebei Mauri.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:






—


for ABF: active in five main business domains worlwide, namely (i) production of baking ingredients, including yeast; (ii) production of sugar; (iii) manufacture of grocery products; (iv) supply of agricultural products to farmers; and (v) high street retailing,










—


for Wilmar: active in oil palm cultivation, oilseed crushing, edible oil refining, sugar milling and refining, manufacturing of consumer products, specialty fats, oleochemicals, biodiesel and fertilisers as well as flour and rice milling worldwide,










—


for Hebei Mauri: active in the manufacture and supply of bakers’ yeast to China and other countries, including in Asia; and










—


for AB Mauri: active in the manufacture, sale and distribution of yeast, bakery ingredients and bakery fats in Asia, as well as the provision of relevant bakery and technical services related to these products in Asia.






3.   
On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.
Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.


4.   
The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.
Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:
M.10411 – ABM / YKA / HEBEI MAURI
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email, by fax, or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu
Fax +32 22964301
Postal address:





European Commission




Directorate-General for Competition




Merger Registry




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË







(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).

(2)  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.