Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.11884 - HUNAN YUNCHU / MINMETALS NEW ENERGY / TMCI / MEIWA / JV) – Candidate case for simplified procedure
Date: 2025-02-27
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: China, chemical product, economic concentration, electricity storage device, energy storage, investment company, joint venture, lithium, merger control, petroleum product, waste management








C_202501468EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/1468


27.2.2025






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.11884 - HUNAN YUNCHU / MINMETALS NEW ENERGY / TMCI / MEIWA / JV)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(C/2025/1468)


1.   
On 19 February 2025, 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:






—


Hunan Yunchu Circular New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (‘Hunan Yunchu’, China), controlled by China Minmetals Corporation (‘Minmetals’, China),










—


Minmetals New Energy Materials (Hunan) Co., Ltd. (‘Minmetals New Energy’, China), also controlled by Minmetals,










—


Meiwa (Shanghai) Corporation (‘Meiwa’, China), and










—


Toyota Motor (China) Investment Co., Ltd. (‘TMCI’, China), controlled by Toyota Motor Corporation (‘Toyota’, Japan).




Hunan Yunchu, Minmetals New Energy, Meiwa, and TMCI will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of Hunan Yunchu Siweipu New Energy Technology Co. Ltd (‘JV’, China).
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares in a newly created company constituting a joint venture.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned are the following:






—


Hunan Yunchu produces and sells energy storage products and batteries. Minmetals is a state-owned international mining company which mainly engages in the exploration, mining, smelting, processing, and trade of metal mineral products, as well as financial services, real estate, and mining and metallurgical technology,










—


Minmetals New Energy is active in the production and sale of high-efficiency battery materials in China (namely of cobalt and lithium),










—


Meiwa engages in the production and sale of petroleum products and machinery chemicals within China, and










—


TMCI is the regional headquarter and investment company of Toyota in China. It participates in Toyota’s production and R&D investment activities in China. Toyota is active in the automotive industry.






3.   

The business activities of the JV will be mainly the secondary utilisation of waste lithium-ion power batteries.



4.   
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 treatment for certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 on the control of concentrations between undertakings (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.


5.   
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.11884 – HUNAN YUNCHU / MINMETALS NEW ENERGY / TMCI / MEIWA / JV
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu

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 160, 5.5.2023, p. 1.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/1468/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)