October 26, 2018 – OTTAWA, ON – Competition Bureau
The Competition Bureau announced today that it has reached an agreement with Linde AG and Praxair, Inc. that resolves competition concerns in Canada related to their proposed merger. The agreement will preserve competition in the supply of specific industrial gases in Canada.
The Bureau’s review found that the proposed merger between Linde and Praxair would likely result in a substantial lessening of competition in markets for the supply of specific industrial gases. In Canada, both Linde and Praxair operate production facilities and a network of filling stations and retail branches, through which they distribute industrial gases to customers across a wide range of industries.
To resolve the Bureau’s concerns, the consent agreement requires the sale of Linde’s Canadian business, including production facilities, filling stations, retail sites, customer and supply contracts, and certain intellectual property. The Commissioner has approved Messer Canada Inc. as an acceptable purchaser of Linde’s Canadian business.
Given that Linde and Praxair’s businesses operate in many countries and the global nature of the transaction, the Bureau coordinated its review with other jurisdictions, including the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (U.S. FTC) and the European Commission.
