02-11386. Solvay S.A.; Analysis to Aid Public Comment

AGENCY:

Federal Trade Commission.

ACTION:

Proposed consent agreement.

SUMMARY:

The consent agreement in this matter settles alleged violations of federal law prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices or unfair methods of competition. The attached Analysis to Aid Public Comment describes both the allegations in the draft complaint that accompanies the consent agreement and the terms of the consent order—embodied in the consent agreement—that would settle these allegations.

DATES:

Comments must be received on or before June 3, 2002.

ADDRESSES:

Comments filed in paper form should be directed to: FTC/Office of the Secretary, Room 159-H, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20580. Comments filed in electronic form should be directed to: [e-mail], as prescribed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Richard Liebeskind, Bureau of Competition, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20580, [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Pursuant to Section 6(f) of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 38 Stat. 721, 15 U.S.C. 46(f), and Section 2.34 of the Commission's Rules of Practice, 16 CFR 2.34, notice is hereby given that the above-captioned consent agreement containing a consent order to cease and desist, having been filed with and accepted, subject to final approval, by the Commission, has been placed on the public record for a period of thirty (30) days. The following Analysis to Aid Public Comment describes the terms of the consent agreement, and the allegations in the complaint. An electronic copy of the full text of the consent agreement package can be obtained from the FTC Home Page (for May 2, 2002), on the World Wide Web, at “http://www.ftc.gov/​os/​2002/​05/​index.htm.” A paper copy can be obtained from the FTC Public Reference Room, Room 130-H, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20580, either in person or by calling [phone].

Public comments are invited, and may be filed with the Commission in either paper or electronic form. Comments filed in paper form should be directed to: FTC/Office of the Secretary, Room 159-H, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20580. If a comment contains nonpublic information, it must be filed in paper form, and the first page of the document must be clearly labeled “confidential.” Comments that do not contain any nonpublic information may instead be filed in electronic form (in ASCII format, WordPerfect, or Microsoft Word) as part of or as an attachment to email messages directed to the following email box: [e-mail]. Such comments will be considered by the Commission and will be available for inspection and copying at its principal office in accordance with Section 4.9(b)(6)(ii) of the Commission's Rules of Practice, 16 CFR 4.9(b)(6)(ii)).

Analysis To Aid Public Comment

The Federal Trade Commission (“Commission”) has accepted, subject to final approval, an Agreement Containing Consent Orders (“Consent Agreement”) from Solvay S.A. (“Solvay” or the “Respondent”). The Consent Agreement is intended to resolve anticompetitive effects stemming from Solvay's proposed acquisition of Ausimont S.p.A. (“Ausimont”) from Italenergia S.p.A. The Consent Agreement includes a proposed Decision and Order (the “Order”) which would require Respondent to divest Solvay's U.S. polyvinylidene fluoride (“PVDF”) operations (the “Solvay Fluoropolymers Business”), including its Decatur, Alabama plant and its interest in the Alventia LLC joint venture, which manufacturers the main raw material for PVDF. The Consent Agreement also includes an Order to Hold Separate and Maintain Assets which requires Respondents to preserve the Solvay Fluoropolymers Business as a viable, competitive, and ongoing operation until the divestiture is achieved.

The Consent Agreement, if finally accepted by the Commission, would settle charges that Solvay's proposed acquisition of Ausimont may have substantially lessened competition in two markets: PVDF, and melt-processible PVDF. The Commission has reason to believe that Solvay's proposed acquisition of Ausimont would have violated Section 7 of the Clayton Act and Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act.

According to the Commission's proposed complaint, there are two relevant lines of commerce in which to analyze the effects of Solvay's proposed acquisition of Ausimont: the production and sale of all graded of PVDF; and the production and sale of melt-processible grades of PVDF. PVDF is a fluoropolymer used in a wide variety of applications, including highly durable architectural coatings, wire and cable jacketing, fiber optic raceways, chemical processing equipment, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and other miscellaneous applications. The melt-processible grades include all PVDF grades except those used in coatings.

The proposed complaint alleges that the markets for PVDF and melt-processible PVDF are highly concentrated, and that the proposed acquisition of Ausimont by Solvay would increase concentration in those markets. The proposed complaint also alleges hat entry into the relevant markets would not be timely, likely, or sufficient to deter or offset the acquisition's adverse competitive effects. Producers employ proprietary technology to manufacture PVDF, and new entry would likely required entry into the production of VF₂, which is a necessary raw material to produce PVDF. Entry would likely take as long as three years.

The proposed complaint alleges that Solvay's acquisition of Ausimont would lessen competition by making coordinated interaction among the remaining producers more likely. The proposed compliant alleges that the acquisition would leave only two significant PVDF producers, that reliable pricing information is available from customers, and that the large number of customers in the industry would make cheating on any coordination easy to detect. The proposed complaint further alleges that Ausimont has been expanding its sales of melt-processible PVDF, and that the acquisition would limit the growing competition between Solvay and Ausimont in melt-processing grades of PVDF.

The proposed Order is designed to remedy the anticompetitive effects of the acquisition in the market for PVDF and melt-processible PVDF by requiring the divestiture of Solvay's fluoropolymers business in the U.S. That business includes Solvay's PVDF manufacturing plant in Decatur, Alabama, and its interest in Alventia LLC (“Alventia”), a VF₂ manufacturing joint venture. As part of the divestiture, the proposed Order would also require Solvay to provide to the Acquirer of the Solvay PVDF business a royalty-free license to Solvay's intellectual property, including detailed information about Solvay's production of PVDF at both Solvay's two plants, in Alabama and France. The scope of the license would allow the acquirer to manufacture or sell PVDF anywhere in the world. The proposed Order would further require the Respondent to divest other assets related to the Solvay PVDF business, including real property, customer lists, contracts, patents, inventories, and other intangible assets and goodwill used to operate the business.

The proposed Order requires that Respondents divest the Solvay Fluoropolymers Business to an acquirer approved by the Commission within one-hundred and eighty (180) days from the date upon which Solvay consummates its acquisition of Ausimont. The proposed Order also provides that if Solvay does not complete its divestiture within that period, the Commission may appoint a Divestiture Trustee to divest the Solvay Fluoropolymers Business in a manner acceptable to the Commission, or may require divestiture of Ausimont's PVDF business, including its VF₂ and PVDF manufacturing operations in Thorofare, New Jersey. The proposed Order also provides for the Commission to appoint a Monitor Trustee to oversee Solvay's compliance with the terms of the proposed Order and the divestiture agreements that Solvay enters pursuant to the proposed Order.

The proposed Order to Hold Separate and Maintain Assets that it also included in the Consent Agreement requires that Respondent hold separate and maintain the viability of Solvay's PVDF business as a viable and competitive operation, and to maintain the viability of Ausimont's PVDF business, until either business is transferred to the Commission-approved acquirer. Furthermore, it contains measures designed to ensure that no material confidential information is exchanged between Respondent and the Solvay PVDF business (except as otherwise provided in the Order to Hold Separate and Maintain Assets) and measures designed to prevent interim harm to competition in the PVDF market pending divestiture. The Order to Hold Separate and Maintain Assets provides for the Commission to appoint a Hold Separate Trustee who is charged with the duty of monitoring Respondent's compliance with the Order to Hold Separate and Maintain Assets.

The proposed Order requires Respondent to provide the Commission, within thirty (30) days from the date the Order becomes final, a verified written report setting forth in detail the manner and form in which the Respondent intends to comply, is complying, and has complied with the provisions relating to the proposed Order and the Order to Hold Separate and Maintain Assets. The proposed Order further requires Respondent to provide the Commission with a report of compliance with the Order every thirty (30) days after the date when the Order becomes final until the divestiture has been completed.

The proposed Order has been placed on the public record for thirty (30) days to receive comments by interested persons. Comments received during this period will become part of the public record. After thirty (30) days, the Commission will review the Consent Agreement and comments received and decide whether to withdraw its agreement or make final the Consent Agreement's proposed Order and Order to Hold Separate and Maintain Assets.

The purpose of this analysis is to facilitate public comment on the proposed Order. This analysis is not intended to constitute an official interpretation of the Consent Agreement, the proposed Order, or the Order to Hold Separate and Maintain Assets or in any way to modify the terms of the Consent Agreement, the proposed Order, or the Order to Hold Separate and Maintain Assets.

By direction of the Commission.

Donald S. Clark,

Secretary.