Kroes onderzoekt Chinese overnameplannen van een Nederlandse producent van tankcontainers (en)

The European Commission has opened a detailed investigation under the EU Merger Regulation into the planned acquisition by China International Marine Containers ("CIMC") of the Dutch Burg Group.

The Commission's initial market investigation has found that the proposed acquisition would raise serious competition concerns in the sector of tank containers. The Commission now has 90 working days (until 28 July 2006) to take a final decision on whether the concentration would significantly impede effective competition within the European Economic Area (EEA) or a substantial part of it. The decision to open an in-depth inquiry does not prejudge the final result of the investigation.

" This takeover involves the world's largest producers of tank containers for liquid cargoes ", commented Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes i. " The Commission must ensure that this transaction will not be detrimental to customers like leasing companies and logistic operators and, ultimately, to the chemical and foodstuff industries ".

Both CIMC and Burg are both active worldwide in the production and sale of standard ISO tank containers, which are cylindrical tanks, supported by a frame, that conform to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) container manufacturing standards. They are used for the transportation of hazardous and non hazardous liquid cargoes in container ships, where they can be easily piled next to standard freight container boxes.

The merger would bring together the two largest worldwide producers of standard ISO tank containers, giving them a quasi-monopolistic market position. Only one small competitor is currently active in the same product market, and there are no clear signs that any new entry would be both timely and sufficient in scope to re-establish the pre-merger competitive situation. The Commission will also examine the potential anti-competitive impact of the planned transaction on the neighbouring markets for special tank containers (essentially, tank containers used for transportation of liquids requiring special treatment or tank containers built on demand to satisfy special logistic needs) where only Burg is currently active.