FTC Requests Public Comment on American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc.’s Application to Approve Divestiture of Assets to Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc.

The Federal Trade Commission is currently accepting public comments on an application by American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc. to sell some of its assets to Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc., a Delaware-based subsidiary of

Taiyo Nippon Sаnso Corporation of Japan.

The divestiture is required by the FTC’s May 2016 proposed order settling charges that the $13.4 billion merger of industrial gas producers American Air Liquide Holdings, Inc. and Airgas, Inc. would likely harm competition in several U.S. and regional markets. In its application, American Air Liquide seeks to divest to Matheson all bulk oxygen, nitrogen, and argon assets; all nitrous oxide assets, all retail packaged welding gases assets; and parts of its bulk liquid carbon dioxide and dry ice assets, as specified in the proposed order.

The Commission will decide whether to approve the proposed divestiture after expiration of a 30-day public comment period, beginning today and continuing through August 8, 2016. Comments can be filed electronically or in paper form by following the instructions in the “Supplementary Information” section of the Federal Register notice. (FTC File No. 161 0045, the staff contact is Roberta Baruch, Bureau of Competition, 202-326-2861).

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