United States v. Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V., Proposed Final Judgment and Competitive Impact Statement, 32314-32331 [07-2856]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 112 / Tuesday, June 12, 2007 / Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
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United States v. Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V.,
Proposed Final Judgment and
Competitive Impact Statement
Notice is hereby given pursuant to the
Antitrust Procedures and Penalties Act,
15 U.S.C. 16(b)–(h), that a proposed
Final Judgment, Hold Separate
Stipulation and Order, and Competitive
Impact Statement have been filed with
the United States District Court for the
District of Columbia in United States v.
Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V., Civil Action No.
1:07–cv–00640. On April 4, 2007, the
United States filed a Complaint to
enjoin Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. from
acquiring Rinker Group Limited. On
May 2, 2007, the United States filed an
Amended Complaint naming Rinker as
a defendant in the suit. The Amended
Complaint alleges that Cemex’s
acquisition of Rinker would
substantially lessen competition in the
production and distribution of ready
mix concrete in certain metropolitan
areas of Florida and Arizona, of concrete
block in certain metropolitan areas of
Florida, and of aggregate in the
metropolitan area of Tucson, Arizona, in
violation of Section 7 of the Clayton
Act, as amended, 15 U.S.C. 18. The
proposed Final Judgment requires
Cemex, once it obtains control of
Rinker, to divest (1) Ready mix concrete
plants in the metropolitan areas of Fort
Walton Beach/Panama City/Pensacola,
Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa/St.
Petersburg, and Fort Myers/Naples,
Florida and the metropolitan areas
Flagstaff and Tucson, Arizona; (2)
concrete block plants in metropolitan
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Tampa/St. Petersburg and Fort Myers/
Naples, Florida; and (3) aggregate plants
in metropolitan Tucson, Arizona.
Copies of the Amended Complaint,
proposed Final Judgment, and
Competitive Impact Statement are
available for inspection at the
Department of Justice, Antitrust
Division, Antitrust Documents Group,
325 7th Street, NW., Room 215,
Washington, DC 20530 (telephone: 202–
514–2481), on the Department of
Justice’s Web site at https://
www.usdoj.gov/atr, and at the Office of
the Clerk of the United States District
Court for the District of Columbia,
Washington, DC. Copies of these
materials may be obtained from the
Antitrust Division upon request and
payment of a copying fee set by
Department of Justice regulations.
Public comment is invited within 60
days of the date of this notice. Such
comments, and responses thereto, will
be published in the Federal Register
and filed with the Court. Comments
should be directed to Maribeth Petrizzi,
Chief, Litigation II Section, Antitrust
Division, U.S. Department of Justice,
1401 H Street, NW., Suite 3000,
Washington, DC 20530 (telephone: 202–
307–0924).
Patricia A. Brink,
Deputy Director of Operations.
United States District Court for the
District of Columbia
United States of America, Department of
Justice, Antitrust Division, 1401 H Street,
NW., Suite 3000, Washington, DC 20530,
Plaintiff, v. Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V., Av.
`
Ricardo Margain Zozaya #325, Colonia del
´
´
Valle Campestre, Garza Garcıa, Nuevo Leon,
Mexico 66265, and Rinker Group Limited,
Level 8, Tower B, 799 Pacific Highway,
Chatsworth, NSW 2067, Australia,
Defendants.
Case No.: 1:07–cv–00640.
Judge: Hon. Royce C. Lamberth.
Deck Type: Antitrust.
Date Stamp: May 2, 2007.
Amended Complaint
Plaintiff United States of America
(‘‘United States’’), acting under the
direction of the Attorney General of the
United States, brings this civil antitrust
action to obtain equitable and other
relief against defendants, Cemex, S.A.B.
de C.V. (‘‘Cemex’’) and Rinker Group
Limited (‘‘Rinker’’) to prevent Cemex’s
proposed acquisition of Rinker. Plaintiff
complains and alleges as follows:
I. Nature of the Action
1. On October 27, 2006, Cemex
Australia Pty Ltd., an entity controlled
by Cemex, initiated a hostile cash tender
offer to acquire all of the outstanding
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shares of Rinker. The total enterprise
value of the transaction offer when
made on October 27, 2007, including
Rinker’s debt, was approximately $12
billion. The offer was due to expire on
March 30, 2007, but Cemex extended it
until April 27, 2007.
2. On April 9, 2007, Cemex
announced that it had signed an
agreement with Rinker, pursuant to
which Cemex increased its offer to make
the total enterprise value of the
transaction, including Rinker’s debt,
approximately $15 billion. This offer
expired on May 18, 2007, and it is
subject to the acquisition of 90 percent
of Rinker’s shares. As part of the
agreement, Rinker’s Board of Directors
unanimously agreed to recommend to
its shareholders that they accept
Cemex’s increased offer at the higher
price, in the absence of a superior
proposal.
3. Cemex and Rinker both produce
and distribute building materials,
including, among other things, ready
mix concrete, aggregate, and concrete
block, throughout the world.
4. The combination of Cemex and
Rinker would create one of the world’s
largest building materials companies.
Cemex’s proposed acquisition of Rinker
would reduce the number of significant
suppliers of ready mix concrete in
various metropolitan areas in Florida
and Arizona, of concrete block in
several metropolitan areas in Florida,
and of aggregate in Tucson, Arizona.
5. The United States brings this action
to prevent the proposed acquisition
because it would substantially lessen
competition in the production and
distribution of ready mix concrete in the
metropolitan areas of Fort Walton
Beach/Panama City/Pensacola,
Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa/St.
Petersburg, Fort Myers/Naples, Florida,
and the metropolitan areas of Flagstaff
and Tucson, Arizona. In addition, the
acquisition would substantially lessen
competition in the production and
distribution of concrete block in
metropolitan Tampa/St. Petersburg and
Fort Myers/Naples, Florida. Finally, the
acquisition would substantially lessen
competition in the production and
distribution of aggregate in metropolitan
Tucson, Arizona.
II. Parties to the Proposed Transaction
6. Defendant Cemex is organized
under the laws of the United Mexican
States with its principal place of
´
business in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Cemex
operates in the United States through its
wholly owned subsidiary, Cemex, Inc.,
which has its principal place of
business in Houston, Texas. In 2006,
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Cemex reported total sales of
approximately $24.6 billion.
7. Cemex produces and distributes
cement, ready mix concrete, aggregate,
concrete block, concrete pipe, and
related building materials to customers
in more than 50 countries.
Approximately 25 percent of Cemex’s
revenues are earned in the United
States. Cemex is the largest United
States supplier of ready mix concrete
and cement and the seventh largest
United States supplier of aggregate.
8. Defendant Rinker is organized
under the laws of Australia with its
principal place of business in
Chatswood, Australia. Rinker operates
in the United States through its
subsidiary, Rinker Materials
Corporation. Rinker Materials
Corporation has its principal place of
business in West Palm Beach, Florida.
In 2006, Rinker reported total sales of
approximately $4 billion.
9. Rinker produces and distributes
aggregate, ready mix concrete, cement,
concrete block, asphalt, concrete pipe,
and other construction materials
through its operations in the United
States and Australia. Approximately 80
percent of Rinker’s revenues are earned
in the United States. Rinker is the
second largest United States supplier of
ready mix concrete and the fifth largest
United States supplier of aggregate.
III. Jurisdiction and Venue
10. Plaintiff United States brings this
action under Section 15 of the Clayton
Act, as amended, 15 U.S.C. 25, to
prevent and restrain defendants from
violating Section 7 of the Clayton Act,
15 U.S.C. 18.
11. Defendants produce and distribute
ready mix concrete, concrete block, and
aggregate in the flow of interstate
commerce. Defendants’ activities in
producing and distributing these
products substantially affect interstate
commerce. This Court has subject
matter jurisdiction over this action
pursuant to Section 12 of the Clayton
Act, 15 U.S.C. 22, and 28 U.S.C. 1331,
1337(a), and 1345.
12. Venue is proper in this District
pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1391(d). Further,
defendants have consented to venue and
personal jurisdiction in this judicial
district.
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IV. Trade and Commerce
A. The Relevant Product Markets
1. Ready Mix Concrete
13. Ready mix concrete is a building
material made up of a combination of
cement, fine and coarse aggregate, small
amounts of chemical additives, and
water. The amount of cement added to
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a concrete mixture determines its
strength, which is measured in pounds
per square inch (‘‘psi’’). Concrete with
higher psi ratings is typically used for
large state department of transportation
highway and bridge projects and highrise buildings. Concrete with lower psi
ratings is typically used for residential
and curb-and-gutter construction
projects.
14. Ready mix concrete is made at
production facilities called batch plants.
A batch plant measures the precise
amount of dry input products needed to
manufacture a given type of concrete.
The mixture is then dumped into a
rotating drum mounted on a heavy duty
truck. Immediately before the truck
departs the plant, a measured amount of
water is added. Once the water hits the
dry mixture, an irreversible chemical
reaction is triggered causing the product
to begin to set into a rigid building
substance. The concrete components are
mixed by the rotating drum while the
truck is being driven to the job site. At
the job site, the concrete is poured
directly from the truck onto the project.
15. Ready mix concrete is unique
because it is pliable when freshly
mixed, can be molded into a variety of
forms, and it is strong and permanent
when hardened. For many building
applications, customers will not
substitute other building materials, such
as steel, wood, or asphalt, for ready mix
concrete. Steel is often not a substitute
for ready mix concrete because it cannot
be poured and formed into smooth,
regular planes. Wood is often not a
substitute because it does not have the
structural strength to support heavy
loads. Asphalt is often not a substitute
because it cannot be used for the
structural portions of bridges, cannot be
used for buildings, and for certain
applications cannot be used for
highways.
16. Ready mix concrete is sold
pursuant to bids, which are based on
extensive specifications from the
customer regarding, among other things,
the amount of concrete, the various
strengths of concrete, and the size and
timing of the concrete pours. The needs
of the customer can differ significantly
by each project.
17. Not all suppliers of ready mix
concrete can service every kind of
project. For example, servicing certain
types of ‘‘large projects,’’ such as large
state department of transportation
highway and bridge building projects
and high-rise building projects, requires
ready mix concrete suppliers to be able
to provide: (a) A large number of cubic
yards of concrete; (b) large daily pours
of concrete, which require the concrete
supplier to schedule trucks to arrive
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continuously at a project; (c) concrete
having multiple psi specifications; and
(d) testing to insure the concrete meets
project engineering specifications.
18. If the concrete does not meet the
project specifications or the concrete is
not poured continuously, the customer
may suffer substantial direct and
consequential losses as a result of
defective concrete. Contractors building
large projects carefully select suppliers
to minimize the chances of problems
with the concrete. .
19. Purchasers of ready mix concrete
for such large projects require that their
suppliers have: (a) Multiple ready mix
concrete plants in a geographic area; (b)
the ability to produce large amounts of
concrete with multiple specifications;
(c) backup plants; (d) a large number of
concrete trucks; (e) a sizeable and welltrained workforce; (f) the demonstrated
ability to service such a large project;
and (g) considerable financial backing to
remedy any problems relating to
defective concrete.
20. Each large project is bid separately
and ready mix concrete suppliers can
identify the specific market conditions
that apply to each large project,
including the number of competitors
that potentially could service the
project’s requirements. Ready mix
concrete suppliers can and do charge
different prices to customers based on
the particular project’s requirements
and the market conditions.
21. A small but significant postacquisition increase in the price of
ready mix concrete that meets the bid
specifications would not cause the
purchasers of ready mix concrete for
large projects to substitute another
building material in sufficient
quantities, or to utilize a supplier of
ready mix concrete without the
characteristics described in paragraph
19 above with sufficient frequency so as
to make such a price increase
unprofitable.
22. Accordingly, the production,
distribution, and sale of ready mix
concrete for use in large projects is a
line of commerce and a relevant product
market within the meaning of Section 7
of the Clayton Act.
2. Concrete Block
23. Concrete block is a construction
material used to build exterior and
interior walls in residential and
commercial structures. Concrete block
comes in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Standard concrete blocks measure 8
inches by 8 inches by 16 inches and are
composed of two hollow squares joined
to form a rectangle.
24. Concrete block is produced by
pouring concrete into molds and
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pressing the molded blocks onto a
conveyor belt for transport to a kiln for
curing. Concrete blocks are then
delivered to storage yards for final
hardening and storage.
25. In Florida, from Orlando south,
the walls of residential structures are
built almost exclusively with concrete
block. Wood is not a viable substitute
because of its susceptibility to termite
and hurricane damage. Poured concrete
walls (‘‘tilt up’’ walls) are at least 10
percent more expensive than concrete
block, except where a large number of
identical structures with regular shapes
are built on contiguous lots using a
single mold. In addition, block made of
polyurethane is not an economically
viable substitute because it is difficult to
install and does not withstand hurricane
winds as well as concrete block.
26. For nearly all residential
construction applications in Florida,
from Orlando south, a small but
significant post-acquisition increase in
the price of concrete block would not
cause the purchasers of concrete block
to substitute another product in
sufficient quantities so as to make such
a price increase unprofitable.
27. Accordingly, within the state of
Florida, from Orlando south, the
production and distribution of concrete
block is a line of commerce and a
relevant product market within the
meaning of Section 7 of the Clayton Act.
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3. Aggregate
28. Aggregate is rock mined from
either quarries or pits. Aggregate is
crushed, washed, and mixed with sand,
cement, and water to produce ready mix
concrete. It is also used to make asphalt
concrete for use in building roads.
Different sizes of rock are needed to
meet different ready mix concrete and
asphalt specifications.
29. There are no substitutes for
aggregate because aggregate differs from
other types of stone products in its
physical composition, functional
characteristics, customary uses, and
pricing. It must meet the state
departments of transportation or
American Society of Testing Materials’
specifications for the specific type of
asphalt or ready mix concrete being
produced.
30. A small but significant postacquisition increase in the price of
aggregate that meets state departments
of transportation and American Society
of Testing Materials’ specifications for
use in ready mix concrete and asphalt
projects would not cause the purchasers
of such aggregate to substitute another
product in sufficient quantities so as to
make such a price increase unprofitable.
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31. Accordingly, the production and
distribution of aggregate that meets state
departments of transportation and
American Society of Testing materials’
specifications for use in ready mix
concrete and asphalt projects is a line of
commerce and a relevant product
market within the meaning of Section 7
of the Clayton Act.
B. The Relevant Geographic Markets
1. Ready Mix Concrete
32. The ready mix concrete needed for
large projects, such as highways,
bridges, and high-rise buildings, is bid
on a project-by-project basis. Ready mix
concrete suppliers can identify the
specific market conditions that apply to
each project, including the number of
competitors that potentially could
service the location of the project. Ready
mix concrete suppliers charge different
prices to customers based on the
particular location of a project.
33. The suppliers with the ability to
bid on large projects are those with
plants located within the metropolitan
area in which the project is located. The
cost of transporting ready mix concrete
is high compared to the value of the
product. As concrete is hauled greater
distances, the transportation costs begin
to diminish the profitability of a load of
concrete. Therefore, suppliers attempt to
stay close to their batch plants to
minimize the cost of hauling concrete.
34. Further, because concrete begins
to set while being driven to the job site,
it is highly perishable. Therefore,
contractors and state departments of
transportation typically limit the time
concrete can spend in a truck to 90
minutes or less. This time may be even
shorter in hot weather conditions. This
time period is measured from the
moment the water hits the dry concrete
inputs in the truck until the concrete is
poured out of the truck. Because of this
90-minute window, contractors and
state departments of transportation
typically allow only a portion—often
only 30 minutes—to be consumed by
driving time. If the concrete is driven for
a longer period of time, there may be
insufficient time for the concrete to be
completely poured onto the project
within the 90-minute window.
35. Due to its perishability and the
cost of hauling concrete, depending on
the size of the city and the associated
traffic, the distance concrete can
reasonably be transported for large
projects, such as highways, bridges, and
high-rise buildings in a metropolitan
area is limited to the metropolitan area
and, in many cases, to only portions of
that area.
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36. The relevant geographic markets,
within the meaning of Section 7 of the
Clayton Act, consist of the locations
within the metropolitan areas of Fort
Walton Beach/Panama City/Pensacola,
Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa/St.
Petersburg, Fort Myers/Naples, Florida,
and the metropolitan areas of Flagstaff
and Tucson, Arizona, to which Cemex
and Rinker are among a small number
of firms that compete to supply ready
mix concrete for large projects.
2. Concrete Block
37. The cost of transporting concrete
block is high compared to the value of
the product. Manufacturers or thirdparty haulers deliver concrete block to
customer job sites by truck. As delivery
distance increases, the ratio of
transportation costs to the price of
concrete block increases. In urban areas,
this most often confines the transport of
concrete block to the metropolitan area.
38. A small but significant postacquisition increase in the price of
concrete block in metropolitan Tampa/
St. Petersburg would not cause
customers of concrete block to procure
concrete block from outside this area in
sufficient quantities so as to make such
a price increase unprofitable.
39. Accordingly, metropolitan Tampa/
St. Petersburg is a relevant geographic
market within the meaning of Section 7
of the Clayton Act.
40. Similarly, a small but significant
post-acquisition increase in the price of
concrete block in metropolitan Fort
Myers/Naples would not cause
customers of concrete block to procure
concrete block from outside this area so
as to make such a price increase
unprofitable.
41. Accordingly, metropolitan Fort
Myers/Naples is a relevant geographic
market within the meaning of Section 7
of the Clayton Act.
3. Aggregate
42. Aggregate is a bulky, heavy, and
relatively low-cost product. The cost of
transporting aggregate is high compared
to the value of the product.
43. Suppliers cannot economically
transport aggregate to the Tucson area
from locations outside of metropolitan
Tucson. First, transportation costs limit
the distance aggregate can be
economically transported from an
aggregate pit to a ready mix concrete
plant (for aggregate pits that are not colocated with ready mix concrete plants)
or from an aggregate pit to the job site.
Second, the location of other aggregate
suppliers limits the distance that
aggregate can economically travel.
Finally, in metropolitan Tucson, the
ready mix concrete plants are typically
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co-located with the aggregate pits to
minimize transportation costs.
44. A small but. significant postacquisition increase in the price of
aggregate in metropolitan Tucson would
not cause customers of aggregate to
procure aggregate in sufficient
quantities from outside this area so as to
make such a price increase unprofitable.
45. Accordingly, metropolitan Tucson
is a relevant geographic market within
the meaning of Section 7 of the Clayton
Act.
C. Anticompetitive Effects
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1. The Proposed Transaction Will Harm
Competition in the Markets for Ready
Mix Concrete, Concrete Block, and
Aggregate in the Specified Geographic
Markets.
a. Ready Mix Concrete
46. Vigorous price competition
between Cemex and Rinker in the
production and sale of ready mix
concrete has benefitted customers.
47. The competitors that could
constrain Cemex and Rinker from
raising prices for ready mix concrete to
be used on large projects, such as
highways, bridges, and high-rise
buildings, are limited to those that meet
the requirements imposed by purchasers
for large ready mix concrete projects.
48. The proposed acquisition will
eliminate the competition between
Cemex and Rinker and reduce the
number of suppliers of ready mix
concrete that might bid on certain types
of large projects, such as highways,
bridges, and high-rise buildings, from
three to two in metropolitan Tampa/St.
Petersburg and metropolitan Fort
Walton Beach/Panama City/Pensacola,
Florida, and in metropolitan Tucson,
Arizona. The proposed acquisition will
eliminate the competition between
Cemex and Rinker and reduce the
number of suppliers of ready mix
concrete that might bid on certain types
of large projects, such as highways,
bridges and high-rise buildings, from
four to three generally, and in some
areas or for some projects from three to
two, in metropolitan Orlando,
metropolitan Fort Myers/Naples, and
metropolitan Jacksonville, Florida.
Further, the proposed acquisition will
substantially increase the likelihood
that Cemex will unilaterally increase the
price of ready mix concrete to a
significant number of customers in these
areas.
49. In metropolitan Flagstaff, Arizona,
the proposed acquisition will eliminate
the competition between Cemex and
Rinker and reduce the number of
suppliers of ready mix concrete that
might bid on certain types of large
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projects, such as highways, bridges, and
high-rise buildings, from two to one.
50. The response of other ready mix
concrete producers in the relevant areas
would not be sufficient to constrain a
unilateral exercise of market power by
Cemex after the acquisition.
51. In addition, a combined Cemex
and Rinker would have the ability to
increase prices for ready mix concrete to
certain customers. Ready mix concrete
producers know the locations of their
competitors’ batch plants and the
distance from their own plants and their
competitors’ plants to a customer’s job
site. Generally, because of
transportation costs, the farther a
supplier’s closest competitor is from a
job site, the less price competition that
supplier faces for that project. Postacquisition, in instances where Cemex
and Rinker plants were the 11 closest
plants to a customer’s project, the
combined firm, using the knowledge of
its competitors’ plant locations, would
be able to charge such customers higher
prices in instances in which the next
closest ready mix concrete supplier’s
plant is farther from the customer’s
project than were the Cemex and Rinker
plants.
52. Without the competitive
constraint of competition between
Cemex and Rinker, post-acquisition
Cemex will have a greater ability to
exercise market power by raising prices
to customers for whom Rinker and
Cemex were their closest and secondclosest sources of ready mix concrete.
53. Further, Cemex’s elimination of
Rinker as an independent competitor in
the production and distribution of ready
mix concrete is likely to facilitate
anticompetitive coordination among the
remaining producers that can bid on
large projects in each relevant
geographic market. Mixes of the same
strength of concrete are relatively
standard and homogeneous, and
producers have access to information
about competitors’ output, capacity, and
costs. Moreover, participants in ready
mix concrete markets have successfully
engaged in anticompetitive coordination
in the past. Given these market
conditions, eliminating one of the few
ready mix concrete suppliers that can
bid on large projects is likely to further
increase the ability of the remaining
competitors to successfully coordinate.
54. The transaction will therefore
substantially lessen competition in the
market for ready mix concrete in the
affected areas, which is likely to lead to
higher prices for the ultimate consumers
of such products, in violation of Section
7 of the Clayton Act.
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b. Concrete Block
55. Vigorous price competition
between Cemex and Rinker in the
production and sale of concrete block
has benefitted customers.
56. In metropolitan Tampa/St.
Petersburg, Florida, the proposed
acquisition will eliminate the
competition between Cemex and Rinker.
The acquisition will give Cemex control
of approximately 60 percent of the
concrete block capacity in metropolitan
Tampa/St. Petersburg. The proposed
acquisition will substantially increase
the likelihood that Cemex will
unilaterally increase the price of
concrete block to a significant number
of customers in metropolitan Tampa/St.
Petersburg.
57. In metropolitan Fort Myers/
Naples, Florida, the proposed
acquisition will eliminate the
competition between Cemex and Rinker.
The acquisition will give Cemex control
of approximately 69 percent of the
concrete block capacity in metropolitan
Fort Myers/Naples. The proposed
acquisition will substantially increase
the likelihood that Cemex will
unilaterally increase the price of
concrete block to a significant number
of customers in metropolitan Fort
Myers/Naples.
58. In addition, in each of these
markets, a combined Cemex and Rinker
would have the ability to increase prices
for concrete block to certain customers.
As with ready mix concrete, concrete
block manufacturers know the locations
of their competitors’ plants and the
distance from their own plants and their
competitors’ plants to a customer’s job
site. Generally, because of
transportation costs, the farther a
supplier’s closest competitor is from the
job site, the less price competition that
supplier faces for that project. Postacquisition, in instances where Cemex
and Rinker plants were the closest
plants to a customer’s project, the
combined firm, using the knowledge of
its competitors’ plant locations, would
be able to charge such customers higher
prices in instances in which the next
closest concrete block supplier’s plant is
farther from the customer’s project than
were the Cemex and Rinker plants.
59. Without the constraint of
competition between Cemex and Rinker,
post-acquisition Cemex will have a
greater ability to exercise market power
by raising prices to customers for whom
Rinker and Cemex were their closest
and second-closest sources of concrete
block supply.
60. Further, Cemex’s elimination of
Rinker as an independent competitor in
the production and distribution of
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concrete block is likely to facilitate anticompetitive coordination among the
remaining concrete block producers in
each relevant geographic market.
Concrete block is a homogeneous
commodity and producers have access
to information about competitors’
output, capacity, and costs. Given these
market conditions, eliminating one of
the few concrete block competitors is
likely to further increase the ability of
the remaining competitors to
successfully coordinate.
61. The response of other concrete
block producers in the relevant areas
would not be sufficient to constrain a
unilateral exercise of market power by
Cemex after the acquisition.
62. The transaction will therefore
substantially lessen competition in the
market for concrete block, which is
likely to lead to higher prices for the
ultimate consumers of such products, in
violation of Section 7 of the Clayton
Act.
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c. Aggregate
63. Vigorous price competition
between Cemex and Rinker in the
production and sale of aggregate in
metropolitan Tucson, Arizona has
benefitted customers.
64. In metropolitan Tucson, the
proposed acquisition will eliminate the
competition between Cemex and Rinker.
The proposed acquisition will also
reduce the number of significant
suppliers of aggregate from five to four
in the Tucson market generally and,
depending on the location of the
aggregate pit and the transportation
costs, the number of suppliers could be
reduced to as few as three or two.
Further, the proposed acquisition will
substantially increase the likelihood
that Cemex will unilaterally increase the
price of aggregate to a significant
number of customers.
65. Further, Cemex’s elimination of
Rinker as an independent competitor in
the production and distribution of
aggregate is likely to facilitate anticompetitive coordination among the
remaining aggregate producers in
Tucson. Aggregate is a homogeneous
commodity and producers have access
to information about competitors’
output, capacity, and costs. Given these
market conditions, eliminating one of
the few aggregate competitors is likely
to further increase the ability of the
remaining competitors to successfully
coordinate.
66. The transaction will therefore
substantially lessen competition in the
market for aggregate, which is likely to
lead to higher prices for the ultimate
consumers of such products, in
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violation of Section 7 of the Clayton
Act.
2. Entry Is Not Likely To Deter the
Exercise of Market Power
a. Ready Mix Concrete
67. Successful entry or expansion into
the production and distribution of ready
mix concrete for large projects is
difficult, time-consuming, and costly. In
order to be able to bid on large projects,
such as highways, bridges, and high-rise
buildings, it is not sufficient simply to
be able to produce ready mix concrete.
In order to bid on these large projects,
a new entrant or an existing producer
must have multiple ready mix concrete
plants in a geographic area, the ability
to produce large amounts of concrete
with multiple specifications, backup
plants, a large number of concrete
trucks, a sizeable and well-trained
workforce, the demonstrated ability and
reputation to be able to service such a
large project and considerable financial
backing to remedy any problems
relating to defective concrete.
68. In addition, opening a ready mix
concrete batch plant in a metropolitan
area is difficult because of the need to
acquire the land for the site of such a
batch plant. The location of a batch
plant is very important because of the
perishability of the ready mix concrete.
In Florida, batch plants typically require
approximately three to five acres of land
to comply with environmental and land
use regulations. Finding the appropriate
site for such a plant close enough to the
large projects is difficult, because in
metropolitan areas such land is already
utilized or does not have the
appropriate zoning. Obtaining the land
use permits or zoning variances is
difficult, costly, and time-consuming, as
well. Furthermore, in addition to
building the new batch plant, an entrant
would also have to secure sources of
cement and aggregate, which are inputs
into ready mix concrete.
69. Therefore, entry or expansion by
any other firm so that it is able to bid
on large ready mix concrete projects
will not be timely, likely, or sufficient
to defeat an anti-competitive price
Increase.
b. Concrete Block
70. In metropolitan Tampa/St.
Petersburg and metropolitan Fort
Myers/Naples, successful entry or
expansion into the production and
distribution of concrete block is
difficult, time consuming, and costly.
Properly zoned parcels of land of the
necessary size (at least eight acres) are
scarce. Locating or securing proper
zoning, development, building, air
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quality, and environmental permits and
building a concrete block plant can take
more than two years. Building a new
concrete block plant costs
approximately $8 to $12 million.
71. Therefore, entry or expansion by
any other firm into the concrete block
markets in metropolitan Tampa/St.
Petersburg and metropolitan Fort
Myers/Naples will not be timely, likely,
or sufficient to defeat an anticompetitive price increase.
c. Aggregate
72. Successful entry or expansion into
the production and distribution of
aggregate is difficult, time-consuming,
and costly. Successful entry or
expansion into the production and
distribution of aggregate in metropolitan
Tucson, Arizona is difficult because
there are very few new sites on which
to locate aggregate pits. First, for
aggregate used on transportation
projects, the aggregate pits must be
located in a river bed or wash. Second,
aggregate is a finite resource in
metropolitan Tucson, and several
aggregate pits have been depleted in the
past several years. Third, requests to
open new aggregate pits often face fierce
public opposition.
73. In addition, Arizona state and
federal zoning, air quality, and other
permitting process requirements must
be met. Obtaining the necessary
environmental and land-use permits for
aggregate pits is difficult in Tucson.
74. Further, the Arizona Aggregate
Mine Reclamation Act requires financial
assurances and other requirements for
companies seeking to open a new
aggregate pit, continuing to operating an
existing aggregate pit, or expanding an
existing aggregate pit.
75. Therefore, entry or expansion by
any other firm into the aggregate market
in metropolitan Tucson would not be
timely, likely, or sufficient to defeat an
anti-competitive price Increase.
V. Violations Alleged
76. The proposed acquisition of
Rinker by Cemex would substantially
lessen competition and tend to create a
monopoly in interstate trade and
commerce in violation of Section 7 of
the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. 18.
77. Unless restrained, the transaction
will have the following anticompetitive effects, among others:
a. Actual and potential competition
between Cemex and Rinker in the
production and distribution of ready
mix concrete, concrete block, and
aggregate in the relevant geographic
markets will be eliminated;
b. competition generally in the
production and distribution of ready
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mix concrete, concrete block, and
aggregate in the relevant geographic
markets. will be substantially lessened;
and
c. Prices for ready mix concrete,
concrete block, and aggregate in the
relevant geographic markets will likely
increase.
VI. Request for Relief
78. Plaintiff requests that:
a. Cemex’s proposed acquisition of
Rinker be adjudged and decreed to be
unlawful and in violation of Section 7
of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. § 18;
b. Defendants and all persons acting
on their behalf permanently enjoined
and restrained from consummating the
proposed acquisition or from entering
into or carrying out any contract,
agreement, plan, or understanding, the
effect of which would be to combine
Cemex with the operations of Rinker;
c. Plaintiff be awarded its costs for
this action; and
d. Plaintiff receive such other and
further relief as the Court deems just
and proper.
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Respectfully submitted,
For Plaintiff United States of America:
/s/ lllllllllllllllllll
Thomas O. Barnett,
Assistant Attorney General, D.C. Bar
#426840.
/s/ lllllllllllllllllll
David L. Meyer,
Deputy Assistant Attorney General, D.C. Bar
#414420.
/s/ lllllllllllllllllll
Patricia A. Brink,
Deputy Director of Operations.
/s/ lllllllllllllllllll
Maribeth Petrizzi,
Chief, Litigation II Section, D.C. Bar #435204.
/s/ lllllllllllllllllll
Dorothy B. Fountain,
Assistant Chief, Litigation II Section, D.C. Bar
#439469.
/s/ lllllllllllllllllll
Frederick H. Parmenter,
Christine A. Hill (D. C. Bar #461 048/
inactive)
Leslie Peritz,
John Lynch,
James S. Yoon (D.C. Bar #491309),
Nicole Mark,
Helena Joly,
Attorneys, U.S. Department of Justice,
Antitrust Division, Litigation II Section, 1401
H Street, N.W., Suite 3000, Washington, D.C.
20530, Tel: (202) 307–0924.
Dated: May 2, 2007.
United States District Court for the
District of Columbia
United States of America, Plaintiff, v.
Cemex, S.A.B. de C.Y. and Rinker Group
Limited, Defendants.
Case No.: 1:07-cv-00640.
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Judge: Hon. Royce C. Lamberth.
Deck Type: Antitrust.
Date Stamped: May 2, 2007.
Final Judgment
Whereas, plaintiff, United States of
America, filed its Amended Complaint
on May 2, 2007, and plaintiff and
defendants, Cemex, S.A.R de C.V.
(‘‘Cemex’’) and Rinker Group Limited
(’’Rinker’’), by their respective attorneys,
have consented to the entry of this Final
Judgment without trial or adjudication
of any issue of fact or law, and without
this Final Judgment constituting any
evidence against or admission by any
party regarding any issue of fact or law;
And whereas, Cemex agrees to be
bound by the provisions of this Final
Judgment pending its approval by the
Court;
And whereas, the essence of this Final
Judgment is the prompt and certain
divestiture of certain rights or assets by
Cemex to assure that competition is not
substantially lessened;
And whereas, plaintiff requires
Cemex to make certain divestitures for
the purpose of remedying the loss of
competition alleged in the Amended
Complaint;
And whereas, Cemex has represented
to the United States that the divestitures
required below can and will be made
and that Cemex will later raise no claim
of hardship or difficulty as grounds for
asking the Court to modify any of the
divestiture provisions contained below;
Now therefore, before any testimony
is taken, without trial or adjudication of
any issue of fact or law, and upon
consent of the parties, it is Ordered,
adjudged and decreed:
I. Jurisdiction
This Court has jurisdiction over the
subject matter of and each of the parties
to this action. The Amended Complaint
states a claim upon which relief may be
granted against defendants under
Section 7 of the Clayton Act, as
amended, 15 U.S.C. 18.
II. Definitions
As used in this Final Judgment:
A. ‘‘Acquirer’’ or ‘‘Acquirers’’ means
the entity or entities to whom Cemex
divests some or all of the Divestiture
Assets.
B. ‘‘Aggregate’’ means crushed stone
and gravel produced at quarries, mines,
or gravel pits used for, among other
things, the production of ready mix
concrete and concrete block. c.
C. ‘‘Cemex’’ means defendant Cemex,
S.A.B. de C.V., a Mexican corporation
with its headquarters in Nuevo Leon,
Mexico, its successors and assigns, and
its subsidiaries, divisions, groups,
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32319
affiliates, partnerships and joint
ventures, and their directors, officers,
managers, agents, and employees.
D. ‘‘Concrete block’’ means a building
material used in the construction of
residential and commercial structures
that is produced at a plant by mixing
cementitious material, aggregate,
chemical additives, and water, and
placing that mixture in molds of various
sizes.
E. Divestiture Assets’’ means:
1. the following Ready Mix Concrete
plants:
a. Fort Walton Beach/Panama City/
Pensacola, Florida Area
i. Rinker’s Crestview plant, located at
5420 Fairchild Road, Crestview, FL
32539;
ii. Rinker’s Fort Walton plant, located
at 1787 FIM Boulevard, Fort Walton
Beach, FL 32547;
iii. Rinker’s Milton plant, located at
6250 Da Lisa Road, Milton, FL 32583;
iv. Rinker’s Panama City plant,
located at 1901–B East 15th Street,
Panama City, FL 32405;
v. Rinker’s Panama City Beach plant,
located at 17750 Hutchinson Road,
Panama City Beach, FL 32407;
vi. Rinker’s Pensacola plant, located
at 415 Hyatt Street, Pensacola, FL
32503;
vii. Rinker’s Port St. Joe plant, located
at 1145 Industrial Road, Port St. Joe, FL
32456;
viii. Rinker’s Point Washington plant,
located at the intersection of East
Highway 98 and Old Ferry Road, Santa
Rosa Beach, FL 32459;
b. Jacksonville, Florida Area
i. Cemex’s Main Street plant, located
at 9214 North Main Street, Jacksonville,
FL 32218;
ii. Cemex’s Southside Florida Mining
Boulevard plant, located at 9715 East
Florida Mining Boulevard, Jacksonville,
FL 32223;
c. Orlando, Florida Area
i. Cemex’s East Orlando plant, located
at 7400 Narcoossee Road, Orlando, FL
32822;
ii. Cemex’s Goldenrod plant, located
at 4000 Forsyth Road, Winter Park, FL
32792;
iii. Cemex’s Winter Garden plant,
located at 201 Hennis Road, Winter
Garden, FL 34787;
iv. Rinker’s Kennedy plant, located at
1406 Atlanta Avenue, Orlando, FL
32806;
d. Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida Area
i. Rinker’s Clearwater plant, located at
3757 118th Avenue North, Clearwater,
FL 33762;
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ii. Rinker’s Odessa plant, located at
12025 State Road 54, Odessa, FL 33556;
iii. Rinker’s Odessa Keys plant,
located at 11913 State Road 54, Odessa,
FL 33556;
iv. Rinker’s Riverview plant, located
at 6723 South 78th Street, Riverview, FL
33569;
v. Rinker’s Tampa plant, located at
6106 East Hanna Avenue, Tampa, FL
33610;
vi. Rinker’s Tampa Keys plant,
located at 1811 North 57th Street,
Tampa, FL 33619;
e. Fort Myers/Naples, Florida Area
i. Rinker’s Ave Maria plant, located at
4811 Ave Maria Boulevard, Immokalee,
FL 34142;
ii. Rinker’s Bonita Springs plant,
located at 25061 Old U.S. Highway 41
South, Bonita Springs, FL 34135;
iii. Rinker’s Canal Street plant,
located at 4262 Canal Street, Fort Myers,
FL 33916;
iv. Rinker’s Cape Coral (Pine Island)
plant, located at 2401 SW Pine Island
Road, Cape Coral, FL 33991;
v. Rinker’s Naples plant, located at
9210 Collier Boulevard, Naples, FL
34114;
vi. Rinker’s South Fort Myers plant,
located at 7270 Alico Road, Fort Myers,
FL 33912;
f. Flagstaff, Arizona Area
Cemex’s Brannen plant, located at 633
East Brannen Avenue, Flagstaff, AZ
86001;
g. Tucson, Arizona Area
i. Cemex’s Ina plant, located at 5400
West Massingale Road, Tucson, AZ
85743;
ii. Rinker’s Green Valley plant,
located at 18701 South Old Nogales
Highway, Sahuarita, AZ 85629;
iii. Rinker’s Poorman Road plant,
located at 6500 South Old Spanish
Trail, Tucson, AZ 85747;
iv. Rinker’s Valencia plant, located at
1011 West Valencia Road, Tucson, AZ
85706;
The following concrete block plants:
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a. Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida
i. Rinker’s Odessa plant, located at
12025 State Road 54, Odessa, FL 33556;
ii. Rinker’s Palmetto plant, located at
600 9th Street West, Palmetto, FL 34221;
iii. Rinker’s Tampa plant, located at
6302 North 56th Street, Tampa, FL
33610;
b. Fort Myers/Naples, Florida Area
i. Rinker’s Bonita Springs plant,
located at 25091 Old U.S. Highway 41
South, Bonita Springs, FL 34135;
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ii. Rinker’s Coral Rock plant, located
at 41451 Cook Brown Road, Punta
Gorda, FL 33982;
iii. Rinker’s South Fort Myers plant,
located at 7270 Alico Road, Fort Myers,
FL 33912;
3. The following Tucson, Arizona area
aggregate plants:
a. Cemex’s Ina plant, located at 5400
West Massingale Road, Tucson, AZ
85743;
b. Rinker’s Green Valley plant, located
at 18701 South Old Nogales Highway,
Sahuarita, AZ 85629;
4. All tangible assets used in the
plants listed in paragraphs II(E)(1 )–(3),
including all research and development
activities, manufacturing equipment,
tooling and fixed assets, real property
(leased or owned), mining equipment,
personal property, inventory, aggregate
reserves, office furniture, materials,
supplies, on- or off-site warehouses or
storage facilities relating to the plants;
all licenses, permits and authorizations
issued by any governmental
organization relating to the plants; all
contracts, agreements, leases (including
renewal rights), commitments, and
understandings relating to the plants,
including supply agreements; all
customer lists, contracts, accounts, and
credit records relating to the plants; all
other records relating to the plants; and
at the option of the Acquirer or
Acquirers, a number of trucks and other
vehicles usable at the plants listed in
paragraphs II(E)(1)–(3) equal to, for each
separate type of truck or other vehicle,
the average number of trucks and other
vehicles of that type used at each such
plant per month during the months of
operation of the plant between January
1, 2006 and December 31, 2006
(calculated by averaging the number of
trucks and other vehicles of each type
that were used at each plant at any time
during each month that the plant was in
operation), but such trucks and vehicles
need not include any equipment related
to Cemex’s ‘‘ReadySlump’’ process, so
long as the trucks and other vehicles are
fully operable without such equipment;
and
5. All intangible assets used in the
development, production, servicing, and
distribution of products by the facilities
listed in paragraphs II(E)(1)–(3),
including but not limited to all
contractual rights, patents, licenses and
sublicenses, intellectual property,
technical information, computer
software (including dispatch software
and management information systems)
and related documentation, know-how,
trade secrets, drawings, blueprints,
designs, design protocols, specifications
for materials, specifications for parts
and devices, safety procedures for the
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handling of materials and substances,
quality assurance and control
procedures, design tools and simulation
capability, all manuals and technical
information provided to the employees,
customers, suppliers, agents or
licensees, and all research data
(including aggregate reserve testing
information) concerning historic and
current research and development
efforts relating to the plants listed in
paragraphs II(E)(1)–(3), including, but
not limited to designs of experiments,
and the results of successful and
unsuccessful designs and experiments.
F. ‘‘Ready mix concrete’’ means a
building material used in the
construction of buildings, highways,
bridges, tunnels, and other projects that
is produced by mixing a cementitious
material and aggregate with sufficient
water to cause the cement to set and
bind.
G. ‘‘Rinker’’ means defendant Rinker
Group Limited, an Australian
corporation with its headquarters in
Chatswood, Australia, its successors and
assigns, and its subsidiaries, divisions,
groups, affiliates, partnerships and joint
ventures, and their directors, officers,
managers, agents, and employees.
H. ‘‘Divestiture Trigger’’ means the
day on which Cemex elects a majority
of the Board of Directors of Rinker or
forty-five (45) days after Cemex obtains
a number of shares of Rinker stock in
excess of 50 percent of the outstanding
shares of Rinker, whichever is sooner.
III. Applicability
A. This Final Judgment applies to
Cemex, as defined above, and all other
persons in active concert or
participation with Cemex who receive
actual notice of this Final Judgment by
personal service or otherwise.
B. Cemex shall require, as a condition
of the sale or other disposition of all or
substantially all of its assets or of lesser
business units that include the
Divestiture Assets, that the purchaser
agrees to be bound by the provisions of
this Final Judgment.
IV. Divestitures
A. Cemex is ordered and directed,
within one hundred twenty (120)
calendar days after the Divestiture
Trigger, or five (5) days after notice of
the entry of this Final Judgment by the
Court, whichever is later, to divest the
Divestiture Assets in a manner
consistent with this Final Judgment to
an Acquirer or Acquirers acceptable to
the United States in its sole discretion.
The United States, in its sole discretion,
may agree to one or more extensions of
this time period, not to exceed in total
sixty (60) calendar days, and shall notify
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the Court in each such circumstance.
Cemex agrees to use its best efforts to
divest the Divestiture Assets as
expeditiously as possible.
B. In accomplishing the divestitures
ordered by the Final Judgment, Cemex
promptly shall make known, by usual
and customary means, the availability of
the Divestiture Assets. Cemex shall
inform any person making inquiry
regarding a possible purchase of the
Divestiture Assets that they are being
divested pursuant to this Final
Judgment and provide that person with
a copy of this Final Judgment. Unless
the United States otherwise consents in
writing, Cemex shall offer to furnish to
all prospective Acquirers, subject to
customary confidentiality assurances,
all information and documents relating
to the Divestiture Assets that
customarily are provided in a due
diligence process except such
information or documents subject to the
attorney-client or work-product
privilege. Cemex shall make available
such information to the United States at
the same time that such information is
made available to any other person.
C. Unless the United States otherwise
consents in writing, Cemex shall
provide the Acquirer or Acquirers and
the United States information relating to
personnel involved in production,
operations, and sales at the Divestiture
Assets to enable the Acquirer or
Acquirers to make offers of
employment. Cemex will not interfere
with any negotiations by the Acquirer or
Acquirers to employ any employee of
the Divestiture Assets whose primary
responsibility is production, operations,
or sales at the Divestiture Assets.
D. Unless the United States otherwise
consents in writing, Cemex shall permit
prospective Acquirers of the Divestiture
Assets to have reasonable access to
personnel and to make inspections of
the physical facilities of the Divestiture
Assets; access to any and all
environmental, zoning, and other permit
documents and information; and access
to any and all financial, operational, and
other documents and information
customarily provided as part of a due
diligence process.
E. Cemex shall warrant to the
Acquirer or Acquirers that those
Divestiture Assets owned by Cemex
prior to an acquisition of Rinker will be
operational on the date of the
divestiture. In addition, with respect to
those Divestiture Assets owned by
Rinker prior to an acquisition by Cemex,
Cemex shall warrant to the Acquirer or
Acquirers that those Divestiture Assets
will be operational on the date of the
divestiture, if they were operational on
the date Cemex acquires a number of
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shares of Rinker stock in excess of 50
percent of the outstanding shares of
Rinker.
F. Cemex shall not take any action
that will impede in any way the
permitting, operation, or divestiture of
the Divestiture Assets.
G. Cemex shall warrant to the
Acquirer or Acquirers that there are no
material defects in the environmental,
zoning, or other permits pertaining to
the operation of those Divestiture Assets
owned by Cemex prior to an acquisition
of Rinker. In addition, with respect to
those Divestiture Assets owned by
Rinker prior to an acquisition by Cemex,
Cemex shall warrant to the Acquirer or
Acquirers that there are no material
defects in the environmental, zoning, or
other permits pertaining to the
operation of those Divestiture Assets, if
there are no material defects in the
environmental, zoning, or other permits
pertaining to the operation of those
Divestiture Assets on the date Cemex
acquires a number of shares of Rinker
stock in excess of 50 percent of the
outstanding shares of Rinker. Cemex
shall not undertake, directly or
indirectly, any challenges to the
environmental, zoning, or other permits
relating to the operation of the
Divestiture Assets.
H. If for any reason Cemex is unable
within the time period required by
paragraph IV(A) to divest any of the
Divestiture Assets or make any of the
Divestiture Assets available for sale by
the trustee appointed pursuant to
Section V, or if for any reason Cemex
does not make the warranties in
paragraphs IV(E) and (G) with respect to
the assets owned by Rinker prior to an
acquisition by Cemex, for each such
asset, the United States, in its sole
discretion, may select one or more
alternative assets owned by Cemex that
are located or used in the same
geographic area (as identified in
boldface type in section II(E)) to be
divested in lieu of the Divestiture Asset
that could not be divested. Unless the
United States consents otherwise in
writing, divestiture of an alternative
Cemex asset shall include all tangible
and intangible assets associated with
that asset, as defined in paragraph II(E).
I. Unless the United States otherwise
consents in writing, any divestiture
pursuant to Section IV, or by trustee
appointed pursuant to Section V, of this
Final Judgment, shall include the entire
Divestiture Assets, and shall be
accomplished in such a way as to satisfy
the United States, in its sole discretion,
that the Divestiture Assets can and will
be used by the Acquirer or Acquirers as
viable, ongoing businesses engaged in
producing and distributing ready mix
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32321
concrete, concrete block, and/or
aggregate, that the Divestiture Assets
will remain viable, and that the
divestiture of such assets will remedy
the competitive harm alleged in the
Amended Complaint. The sale of the
Divestiture Assets may be made to one
or more Acquirers, so long as: (1) All of
the ready mix concrete plants in a
geographic area (as identified in
boldface type in section II(E)) are
divested to a single Acquirer; (2) all of
the concrete block plants in a
geographic area are divested to a single
Acquirer; (3) both aggregate plants listed
in paragraph II(E)(3) are divested to the
same Acquirer that acquires the ready
mix concrete plants listed in paragraphs
II(E)(l)(g)(i)–(iii); and (4) in each
instance it is demonstrated in a manner
acceptable to the United States in its
sole discretion that the Divestiture
Assets will remain viable and the
divestiture of such Divestiture assets
will remedy the competitive harm
alleged in the Amended Complaint. The
divestitures, whether pursuant to
Section IV or Section V of this Final
Judgment,
1. Shall be made to an Acquirer or
Acquirers that, in the United States’s
sole judgment, has the intent and
capability (including the necessary
managerial, operational, technical and
financial capability) to compete
effectively in the production and
distribution of ready mix concrete,
concrete block, and/or aggregate; and
2. Shall be accomplished so as to
satisfy the United States, in its sole
discretion, that none of the terms of any
agreement between an Acquirer or
Acquirers and Cemex gives Cemex the
ability to unreasonably raise the
Acquirer’s costs, to lower the Acquirer’s
efficiency, or otherwise to interfere in
the ability of the Acquirer to compete
effectively in the production and
distribution of ready mix concrete,
concrete block, and/or aggregate.
J. If Cemex does not acquire a number
of shares of Rinker stock in excess of 50
percent of the outstanding shares of
Rinker, Cemex shall divest all its
interest in Rinker within six months
from the date this Final Judgment is
signed by the Court. Pending such
divestiture, Cemex shall not, directly or
indirectly: (1) Exercise dominion or
control over, or otherwise seek to
influence, the management, direction, or
supervision of the business of Rinker;
(2) seek or obtain representation on the
Board of Directors of Rinker; (3) exercise
any voting rights attached to the shares;
(4) seek or obtain access to any
confidential or proprietary information
of Rinker; or (5) take any action or omit
to take any action that would have an
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effect different than if Cemex’s interest
in Rinker were that of a purely passive
investor.
V. Appointment of Trustee to Effect
Divestitures
A. If Cemex has not divested the
Divestiture Assets within the time
period specified in paragraph IV(A),
Cemex shall notify the United States of
that fact in writing. Upon application of
the United States, the Court shall
appoint a trustee selected by the United
States and approved by the Court to
effect the divestiture of the Divestiture
Assets.
B. After the appointment of a trustee
becomes effective, only the trustee shall
have the right to sell the Divestiture
Assets. The trustee shall have the power
and authority to accomplish the
divestiture to an Acquirer acceptable to
the United States at such price and on
such terms as are then obtainable upon
reasonable effort by the trustee, subject
to the provisions of Sections IV, V, and
VI of this Final Judgment, and shall
have such other powers as this Court
deems appropriate. Subject to paragraph
V(D) of this Final Judgment, the trustee
may hire at the cost and expense of
Cemex any investment bankers,
attorneys, or other agents, who shall be
solely accountable to the trustee,
reasonably necessary in the trustee’s
judgment to assist in the divestiture.
C. Cemex shall not object to a sale by
the trustee on any ground other than the
trustee’s malfeasance. Any such
objection by Cemex must be conveyed
in writing to the United States and the
trustee within ten (10) calendar days
after the trustee has provided the notice
required under Section VI.
D. The trustee shall serve at the cost
and expense of Cemex, on such terms
and conditions as plaintiff approves,
and shall account for all monies derived
from the sale of the assets sold by the
trustee and all costs and expenses so
incurred. After approval by the Court of
the trustee’s accounting, including fees
for its services and those of any
professionals and agents retained by the
trustee, all remaining money shall be
paid to Cemex and the trust shall then
be terminated. The compensation of the
trustee and any professionals and agents
retained by the trustee shall be
reasonable in light of the value of the
Divestiture Assets and based on a fee
arrangement providing the trustee with
an incentive based on the price and
terms of the divestiture and the speed
with which it is accomplished, but
timeliness is paramount.
E. Cemex shall use its best efforts to
assist the trustee in accomplishing the
required divestiture. The trustee and
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any consultants, accountants, attorneys,
and other persons retained by the
trustee shall have full and complete
access to the personnel, books, records,
and facilities of the business to be
divested, and Cemex shall develop
financial and other information relevant
to such business as the trustee may
reasonably request, subject to reasonable
protection for trade secrets or other
confidential research, development, or
commercial information. Cemex shall
take no action to interfere with or to
impede the trustee’s accomplishment of
the divestiture.
F. After its appointment, the trustee
shall file monthly reports with the
United States and the Court setting forth
the trustee’s efforts to accomplish the
divestiture ordered under this Final
Judgment. To the extent such reports
contain information that the trustee
deems confidential, such reports shall
not be filed in the public docket of the
Court. Such reports shall include the
name, address, and telephone number of
each person who, during the preceding
month, made an offer to acquire,
expressed an interest in acquiring,
entered into negotiations to acquire, or
was contacted or made an inquiry about
acquiring the Divestiture Assets, and
shall describe in detail each contact
with any such person. The trustee shall
maintain full records of all efforts made
to divest the Divestiture Assets.
G. If the trustee has not accomplished
such divestiture within six months after
its appointment, the trustee shall
promptly file with the Court a report
setting forth: (1) The trustee’s efforts to
accomplish the required divestiture; (2)
the reasons, in the trustee’s judgment,
why the required divestiture has not
been accomplished; and (3) the trustee’s
recommendations. To the extent such
report contains information that the
trustee deems confidential, such report
shall not be filed in the public docket
of the Court. The trustee shall at the
same time furnish such report to the
plaintiff, who shall have the right to
make additional recommendations
consistent with the purpose of the trust.
The Court thereafter shall enter such
orders as it shall deem appropriate to
carry out the purpose of the Final
Judgment, which may, if necessary,
include extending the trust and the term
of the trustee’s appointment by a period
requested by the United States.
VI. Notice of Proposed Divestiture
A. Within two (2) business days
following execution of a definitive
divestiture agreement, Cemex or the
trustee, whichever is then responsible
for effecting the divestiture required
herein, shall notify the United States of
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any proposed divestiture required by
Section IV or V ofthis Final Judgment.
If the trustee is responsible, it shall
similarly notify Cemex. The notice shall
set forth the details of the proposed
divestiture and list the name, address,
and telephone number of each person
not previously identified who offered or
expressed an interest in or desire to
acquire any ownership interest in the
Divestiture Assets, together with full
details of the same.
B. Within fifteen (15) calendar days of
receipt by the United States of such
notice, the United States may request
from Cemex, the proposed Acquirer or
Acquirers, any other third party, or the
trustee, if applicable, additional
information concerning the proposed
divestiture, the proposed Acquirer or
Acquirers, and any other potential
Acquirer. Cemex and the trustee shall
furnish any additional information
requested within fifteen (15) calendar
days of the receipt of the request, unless
the parties shall otherwise agree.
c. Within thirty (30) calendar days
after receipt of the notice, or within
twenty (20) calendar days after the
United States has been provided the
additional information requested from
Cemex, the proposed Acquirer or
Acquirers, any third party, or the
trustee, whichever is later, the United
States shall provide written notice to
Cemex and the trustee, if there is one,
stating whether or not it objects to the
proposed divestiture. If the United
States provides written notice that it
does not object, the divestiture may be
consummated, subject only to Cemex’s
limited right to object to the sale under
paragraph V(C) of this Final Judgment.
Absent written notice that the United
States does not object to the proposed
Acquirer or upon objection by the
United States, a divestiture proposed
under Section IV or Section V shall not
be consummated. Upon objection by
Cemex under paragraph V(C), a
divestiture proposed under Section V
shall not be consummated unless
approved by the Court.
VII. Financing
Cemex shall not finance all or any
part of any purchase by an Acquirer of
any Divestiture Asset pursuant to
Section IV or V of this Final Judgment.
VIII. Hold Separate
Until the divestiture required by this
Final Judgment has been accomplished,
Cemex shall take all steps necessary to
comply with the Amended Hold
Separate Stipulation and Order entered
by this Court. Cemex shall take no
action that would jeopardize the
divestiture ordered by this Court.
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IX. Affidavits
A. Within twenty (20) calendar days
of the Divestiture Trigger, and every
thirty (30) calendar days thereafter until
the divestitures have been completed
under Section IV or V, Cemex shall
deliver to the United States an affidavit
as to the fact and manner of its
compliance with Section IV or V of this
Final Judgment. Each such affidavit
shall include the name, address, and
telephone number of each person who,
during the preceding thirty days, made
an offer to acquire, expressed an interest
in acquiring, entered into negotiations
to acquire, or was contacted or made an
inquiry about acquiring, any interest in
the Divestiture Assets, and shall
describe in detail each contact with any
such person during that period. Each
such affidavit shall also include a
description of the efforts Cemex has
taken to solicit buyers for the
Divestiture Assets, and to provide
required information to any prospective
Acquirer, including the limitations, if
any, on such information. Assuming the
information set forth in the affidavit is
true and complete, any objection by the
United States to information provided
by Cemex, including limitations on the
information, shall be made within
fourteen (14) calendar days of receipt of
such affidavit.
B. Within twenty (20) calendar days
of the filing of the Amended Complaint
in this matter, Cemex shall deliver to
the United States an affidavit that
describes in reasonable detail all actions
Cemex has taken and all steps Cemex
has implemented on an ongoing basis to
comply with Section VIII of this Final
Judgment. Cemex shall deliver to the
United States an affidavit describing any
changes to the efforts and actions
outlined in Cemex’s earlier affidavits
filed pursuant to this section within
fifteen (15) calendar days after the
change is implemented.
C. Cemex shall keep all records of all
efforts made to preserve and divest the
Divestiture Assets until one year after
such divestitures have been completed.
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X. Compliance Inspection
A. For the purposes of determining or
securing compliance with this Final
Judgment, or of determining whether
the Final Judgment should be modified
or vacated, and subject to any legally
recognized privilege, from time to time
duly authorized representatives of the
United States Department of Justice,
including consultants and other persons
retained by the United States, shall,
upon written request of a duly
authorized representative of the
Assistant Attorney General in charge of
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the Antitrust Division, and on
reasonable notice to Cemex, be
permitted:
1. Access during Cemex’s office hours
to inspect and copy, or at plaintiff’s
option, to require Cemex to provide
copies of, all books, ledgers, accounts,
records and documents in the
possession, custody, or control of
Cemex, relating to any matters
contained in this Final Judgment; and
2. To interview, either informally or
on the record, Cemex’s officers,
employees, or agents, who may have
their individual counsel present,
regarding such matters. The interviews
shall be subject to the reasonable
convenience of the interviewee and
without restraint or interference by
Cemex.
B. Upon the written request of a duly
authorized representative of the
Assistant Attorney General in charge of
the Antitrust Division, Cemex shall
submit written reports or responses to
written interrogatories, under oath if
requested, relating to any of the matters
contained in this Final Judgment as may
be requested.
C. No information or documents
obtained by the means provided in this
section shall be divulged by the United
States to any person other than an
authorized representative of the
executive branch of the United States,
except in the course of legal proceedings
to which the United States is a party
(including grand jury proceedings), or
for the purpose of securing compliance
with this Final Judgment, or as
otherwise required by law.
D. If, at the time information or
documents are furnished by Cemex to
the United States, Cemex represents and
identifies in writing the material in any
such information or documents to
which a claim of protection may be
asserted under Rule 26(c)(7) of the
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and
Cemex marks each pertinent page of
such material, ‘‘Subject to claim of
protection under Rule 26(c)(7) of the
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure,’’ then
the United States shall give Cemex ten
(10) calendar days notice prior to
divulging such material in any legal
proceeding (other than a grand jury
proceeding).
XI. No Reacquisition
Cemex may not reacquire any part of
the Divestiture Assets during the term of
this Final Judgment.
XII. Retention of Jurisdiction
This Court retains jurisdiction to
enable any party to this Final Judgment
to apply to this Court at any time for
further orders and directions as may be
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32323
necessary or appropriate to carry out or
construe this Final Judgment, to modify
any of its provisions, to enforce
compliance, and to punish violations of
its provisions.
XIII. Expiration of Final Judgment
Unless this Court grants an extension,
this Final Judgment shall expire ten
years from the date of its entry.
XIV. Public Interest Determination
Entry of this Final Judgment is in the
public interest. The parties have
complied with the requirements of the
Antitrust Procedures and Penalties Act,
15 U.S.C. 16, including making copies
available to the public of this Final
Judgment, the Competitive Impact
Statement, and any comments thereon
and the United States’ responses to
comments. Based upon the record
before the Court, which includes the
Competitive Impact Statement and any
comments and response to comments
filed with the Court, entry of this Final
Judgment is in the public interest.
Date: lllll
Court approval subject to procedures of the
Antitrust Procedures and Penalties Act, 15
U.S.C. § 16.
lllllllllllllllllllll
United States District Judge.
United States District Court for the
District of Columbia
United States of America, Plaintiff, v.
Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. and Rinker Group
Limited, Defendants.
Case No.: 1:07–cv–00640.
Judge: Hon. Royce C. Lamberth.
Deck Type: Antitrust.
Date Stamped:
Competitive Impact Statement
Plaintiff United States of America
(‘‘United States’’), pursuant to Section
2(b) of the Antitrust Procedures and
Penalties Act (‘‘APPA’’ or ‘‘Tunney
Act’’), 15 U.S.C. 16(b)–(h), files this
Competitive Impact Statement relating
to the proposed Final Judgment
submitted for entry in this civil antitrust
proceeding.
I. Nature and Purpose of the Proceeding
The United States filed a civil
antitrust Complaint on April 4, 2007,
seeking to obtain equitable and other
relief against defendant Cemex, S.A.B.
de C.V. (‘‘Cemex’’) to prevent its
proposed acquisition of defendant
Rinker Group Limited (‘‘Rinker’’) by
hostile cash tender offer. The Complaint
alleges that the likely effect of this
acquisition would be to lessen
competition substantially in the
production and distribution of ready
mix concrete in certain areas of Florida
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and Arizona, of concrete block in
certain areas of Florida, and of aggregate
in Tucson, Arizona, in violation of
Section 7 of the Clayton Act. This loss
of competition would likely result in
higher prices for these products in the
affected areas. At the same time the
Complaint was filed, the United States
filed a Hold Separate Stipulation and
Order and a proposed Final Judgment,
which were designed to eliminate the
anticompetitive effects of the
acquisition.
Subsequently, on April 9, 2007,
Cemex signed an agreement with
Rinker, pursuant to which, among other
things, Cemex agreed to increase its
offer price for the shares of Rinker stock
and the Rinker Board of Directors agreed
to recommend to its shareholders that
they accept Cemex’s increased offer.
Accordingly, on May 2, 2007, the
United States filed an Amended
Complaint adding Rinker as a defendant
and an Amended Hold Separate
Stipulation and Order that obligated
Rinker to abide by the terms of that
Stipulation and Order.1 Finally, the
United States filed an amended
proposed Final Judgment (hereafter, the
‘‘proposed Final Judgment’’), reflecting
the fact that Rinker is a defendant in
this action.2
Under the proposed Final Judgment,
which is explained more fully below,
Cemex is required to divest 31 ready
mix concrete plants in the metropolitan
areas of Fort Walton Beach/Panama
City/Pensacola, Jacksonville, Orlando,
Tampa/St. Petersburg, and Fort Myers/
Naples, Florida, and the metropolitan
areas of Flagstaff and Tucson, Arizona.
In addition, Cemex is required to divest
six concrete block plants in the Tampa/
St. Petersburg and Fort Myers/Naples,
Florida metropolitan areas and two
aggregate plants in the Tucson, Arizona
metropolitan area. Under the terms of
the Amended Hold Separate Stipulation
and Order, Cemex and Rinker are
required to: (1) Take certain steps to
ensure that the plants discussed above
(hereafter, the ‘‘Divestiture Assets’’) are
operated as ongoing, economically
viable competitive businesses; (2)
maintain the management, sales, and
operations of all assets owned by each
1 Paragraph VIII(B) of the original proposed Final
Judgment provided that if Cemex and Rinker
subsequently reached an agreement relating to
Cemex’s acquisition of Rinker, Cemex would
require Rinker to sign and become a party to an
amended Hold Separate Stipulation and Order.
2 In addition, Paragraph VIII(B) of the original
proposed Final Judgment was deleted in the
amended Final Judgment because Rinker has been
added to the Amended Hold Separate Stipulation
and Order. There were no other substantive changes
to the Amended Complaint or amended proposed
Final Judgment.
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entirely separate, distinct, and apart
from the assets owned by the other; and
(3) refrain from coordinating the
production, marketing, or terms of sale
of any of their products with those
produced or distributed by any assets
owned by the other defendant prior to
the acquisition.
The United States, Cemex, and Rinker
have stipulated that the proposed Final
Judgment may be entered after
compliance with the APP A. Entry of
the proposed Final Judgment would
terminate this action, except that the
Court would retain jurisdiction to
construe, modify, or enforce the
provisions of the proposed Final
Judgment and to punish violations
thereof.
II. Description of the Events Giving Rise
to the Alleged Violation
A. The Defendants and the Proposed
Transaction
Cemex and Rinker both produce and
distribute building materials, including,
among other things, ready mix concrete,
aggregate, and concrete block
throughout the world. Cemex is
organized under the laws of the United
Mexican States with its principal place
´
of business in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. In
2006, Cemex reported total sales of
approximately $24.6 billion. Cemex is
the largest United States supplier of
ready mix concrete and cement and the
seventh largest United States supplier of
aggregate. Approximately 25 percent of
Cemex’s revenues are earned in the
United States. Cemex operates in the
United States through its wholly-owned
subsidiary, Cemex, Inc., which has its
principal place of business in Houston,
Texas.
Rinker is organized under the laws of
Australia with its principal place of
business in Chatswood, Australia. In
2006, Rinker reported total sales of
approximately $4 billion. Rinker is the
second largest United States supplier of
ready mix concrete and the fifth largest
United States supplier of aggregate.
Approximately 80 percent of Rinker’s
revenues are earned in the United
States. Rinker operates in the United
States through its subsidiary, Rinker
Materials Corporation. Rinker Materials
Corporation has its principal place of
business in West Palm Beach, Florida.
On October 27, 2006, Cemex Australia
Pty Ltd., an entity controlled by Cemex,
initiated a hostile cash tender offer to
acquire all of the outstanding shares of
Rinker for $13 per share. The total
enterprise value of the transaction when
made on October 27, 2006, including
Rinker’s debt, was approximately $12
billion. This offer was due to expire on
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March 30, 2007, but Cemex extended it
until April 27, 2007.
On April 9, 2007, Cemex announced
that it signed an agreement with Rinker,
pursuant to which Cemex agreed to
increase its offer price for the shares of
Rinker stock to $15.85 per share. This
increased the total enterprise value of
the transaction to approximately $15
billion. This offer expired on May 18,
2007, and is subject to Cemex’s
acquisition of 90 percent of the Rinker
shares. As part of the agreement, the
Rinker Board of Directors unanimously
agreed to recommend to its shareholders
that they accept Cemex’s increased offer
in the absence of a superior proposal.
B. The Competitive Effects of the
Transaction on the Markets for Ready
Mix Concrete, Concrete Block, and
Aggregate
1. Relevant Product Markets
a. Production, Distribution, and Sale of
Ready Mix Concrete
The Amended Complaint alleges that
the production, distribution, and sale of
ready mix concrete for use in large
projects is a relevant product market
within the meaning of Section 7 of the
Clayton Act. Ready mix concrete is a
building material made up of a
combination of cement, fine and coarse
aggregate, small amounts of chemical
additives, and water. Ready mix
concrete is unique because it is pliable
when freshly mixed, can be molded into
a variety of forms, and is strong and
permanent when hardened. For many
building applications, there is no
substitute for ready mix concrete.
Ready mix concrete is sold pursuant
to bids, which are based on extensive
specifications from the customer
regarding, among other things, the
amount of concrete, the various
strengths of concrete, and the size and
timing of the concrete pours. Not all
suppliers of ready mix concrete can
service every kind of project. For
example, servicing certain types of large
projects, such as large state department
of transportation highway and bridge
building projects and high-rise building
projects, requires ready mix concrete
suppliers to be able to provide: (a) A
large number of cubic yards of concrete;
(b) large daily pours of concrete, which
require the concrete supplier to
schedule trucks to arrive continuously
at a project; (c) concrete having multiple
pounds per square inch specifications;
and (d) tests to ensure that the concrete
meets project engineering specifications.
If the concrete does not meet the project
specifications or the concrete is not
poured continuously, the customer may
suffer direct and consequential losses as
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a result of defective concrete.
Purchasers of ready mix concrete for
such large projects require that the
suppliers have: (a) Multiple ready mix
concrete plants in a geographic area; (b)
the ability to produce large amounts of
concrete with multiple specifications;
(c) backup plants; (d) a large number of
concrete trucks; (e) a sizeable and welltrained workforce; (f) the demonstrated
ability to service such a large project;
and (g) considerable financial backing to
remedy any problems relating to
defective concrete.
Each large project is bid separately
and ready mix concrete suppliers can
identify the specific market conditions
that apply to each large project,
including the number of competitors
that potentially could service the
project’s requirements. Ready mix
concrete suppliers can and do charge
different prices to customers based on
the particular project’s requirements
and market conditions.
The Amended Complaint alleges that
a small but significant post-acquisition
increase in the price of ready mix
concrete that meets particular bid
specifications would not cause the
purchasers of ready mix concrete for
large projects to substitute another
building material in sufficient
quantities, or to utilize a supplier of
ready mix concrete without the
characteristics described above with
sufficient frequency, so as to make such
a price increase unprofitable.
Accordingly, the production,
distribution, and sale of ready mix
concrete for use in large projects is a
line of commerce and a relevant product
market.
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b. Concrete Block
The Amended Complaint alleges that
concrete block is a relevant product
market within the meaning of Section 7
of the Clayton Act in the state of Florida
from Orlando south. Concrete block is a
construction material used to build
exterior and interior walls in residential
and commercial structures. In the state
of Florida, from Orlando south, the
walls of residential structures are built
almost exclusively with concrete block.
For nearly all residential construction
applications in this area, a small but
significant post-acquisition increase in
the price of concrete block would not
cause the purchasers of concrete block
to substitute another product such as
poured concrete or polyurethane block
in sufficient quantities so as to make
such a price increase unprofitable.
Accordingly, within the state of Florida,
from Orlando south, concrete block is a
relevant product market.
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c. Aggregate
The Amended Complaint alleges that
the production and distribution of
aggregate that meets specifications set
by state departments of transportation
and the American Society of Testing
Materials for use in ready mix concrete
and asphalt projects is a relevant
product market within the meaning of
Section 7 of the Clayton Act. Aggregate
is rock mined from either quarries or
pits that is crushed, washed, and mixed
with sand, cement, and water to
produce ready mix concrete. It is also
used to make asphalt concrete for use in
building roads. Different sizes of rock
are needed to meet different concrete
and asphalt specifications. There are no
substitutes for aggregate because it
differs from other types of stone
products in its physical composition,
functional characteristics, customary
uses, and pricing. It must meet
specifications of state departments of
transportation or the American Society
of Testing Materials for the specific type
of asphalt or ready mix concrete being
produced. The Amended Complaint
further alleges that a small but
significant post-acquisition increase in
the price of aggregate that meets such
specifications for use in ready mix
concrete and asphalt projects would not
cause the purchasers of aggregate to
substitute another product in sufficient
quantities so as to make such a price
increase unprofitable. Accordingly, the
production and distribution of aggregate
that meets specifications of state
departments of transportation or the
American Society of Testing Materials
for use in ready mix concrete and
asphalt projects is a relevant product
market.
2. Relevant Geographic Markets
a. Ready Mix Concrete
The ready mix concrete needed for
large projects, such as highways,
bridges, and high-rise buildings, is bid
on a project-by-project basis. Ready mix
concrete suppliers can identify the
specific market conditions that apply to
each project, including the number of
competitors that potentially could
service the location of the project. Ready
mix concrete suppliers charge different
prices to customers based on the
particular location of a project.
The suppliers with the ability to bid
on large projects are those with plants
located within the metropolitan area in
which the project is located. The cost of
transporting ready mix concrete is high
compared to the value of the product.
As concrete is hauled greater distances,
the transportation costs begin to
diminish the profitability of a load of
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concrete. Therefore, suppliers attempt to
stay close to their batch plants to
minimize the cost of hauling concrete.
Further, because concrete begins to
set while being driven to the job site, it
is highly perishable. Therefore,
contractors and state departments of
transportation typically limit the time
concrete can spend in a truck to 90
minutes or less. Of this 90-minute
window, contractors and state
departments of transportation typically
allow only a portion—often only 30
minutes—to be consumed by driving
time.
Due to its perishability and the cost of
hauling concrete, depending on the size
of the city and the associated traffic, the
distance concrete can reasonably be
transported for large projects, such as
highways, bridges, and high-rise
buildings in a metropolitan area, is
limited to the metropolitan area and, in
many cases, to only portions of that
area. Accordingly, the relevant markets
consist of the locations within the
metropolitan areas of Fort Walton
Beach/Panama City/Pensacola,
Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa/St.
Petersburg, and Fort Myers/Naples,
Florida, and the metropolitan areas of
Flagstaff and Tucson, Arizona, to which
Cemex and Rinker are among a small
number of firms that compete to supply
ready mix concrete.
b. Concrete Block
The cost of transporting concrete
block is high compared to the value of
the product. Manufacturers or thirdparty haulers deliver concrete block to
customer job sites by truck. As delivery
distance increases, the ratio of
transportation costs to the price of
concrete block increases. In urban areas,
this ratio most often confines the
transport of concrete block to the
metropolitan area.
The Amended Complaint alleges that
a small but significant post-acquisition
increase in the price of concrete block
in either the metropolitan Tampa/St.
Petersburg area or the metropolitan Fort
Myers/Naples area would not cause
customers of concrete block to procure
concrete block from outside these areas
in sufficient quantities so as to make
such a price increase unprofitable.
Accordingly, metropolitan Tampa/St.
Petersburg and metropolitan Fort
Myers/Naples are relevant geographic
markets.
c. Aggregate
Aggregate is a bulky, heavy, and
relatively low-cost product. The cost of
transporting aggregate is high compared
to the value of the product. Suppliers
cannot economically transport aggregate
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to the Tucson area from locations
outside of metropolitan Tucson. First,
transportation costs limit the distance
aggregate can be economically
transported from an aggregate pit to a
ready mix concrete plant (for aggregate
pits that are not co-located with ready
mix concrete plants) or from an
aggregate pit to the job site. In
metropolitan Tucson, the ready mix
concrete plants are typically co-located
with the aggregate pits to minimize
transportation costs. Second, the
location of other aggregate suppliers
limits the distance that aggregate can
economically travel.
The Amended Complaint alleges that
a small but significant post-acquisition
increase in the price of aggregate in
metropolitan Tucson would not cause
customers of aggregate to procure
aggregate in sufficient quantities from
outside this area so as to make such a
price increase unprofitable.
Accordingly, metropolitan Tucson is a
relevant geographic market.
3. Anticompetitive Effects of the
Acquisition
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a. Ready Mix Concrete
The Amended Complaint alleges that
the proposed acquisition will eliminate
competition between Cemex and Rinker
and reduce the number of suppliers of
ready mix concrete that might bid on
certain types of large projects, such as
highways, bridges, and high-rise
buildings, from three to two in
metropolitan Tampa/St. Petersburg and
metropolitan Fort Walton Beach/
Panama City/Pensacola, Florida, and in
metropolitan Tucson, Arizona. The
proposed acquisition will eliminate the
competition between Cemex and Rinker
and reduce the number of suppliers of
ready mix concrete that might bid on
certain types of large projects, such as
highways, bridges, and high-rise
buildings, from four to three generally,
and in some areas or for some projects
from three to two, in metropolitan
Orlando, metropolitan Fort Myers/
Naples, and metropolitan Jacksonville,
Florida. Accordingly, the Amended
Complaint alleges that the proposed
acquisition will substantially increase
the likelihood that Cemex will
unilaterally increase the price of ready
mix concrete to a significant number of
customers in the affected metropolitan
areas. Moreover, in metropolitan
Flagstaff, Arizona, the proposed
acquisition will reduce the number of
suppliers of ready mix concrete that
might bid on certain types of large
projects, such as highways, bridges, and
high-rise buildings, to only one.
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Absent the constraint of competition
between Cemex and Rinker, postacquisition Cemex will have a greater
ability to exercise market power by
raising prices to customers for whom
Rinker and Cemex were their closest
and second-closest sources of ready mix
concrete. The responses of other ready
mix concrete producers in the relevant
areas would not be sufficient to
constrain a unilateral exercise of market
power by Cemex after the acquisition.
Further, Cemex’s elimination of
Rinker as an independent competitor in
the production and distribution of ready
mix concrete is likely to facilitate
anticompetitive coordination among the
remaining producers that can bid on
large projects in each relevant
geographic market. Mixes of the same
strength of concrete are relatively
standard and homogeneous, and
producers have access to information
about competitors’ output, capacity, and
pricing. Moreover, participants in ready
mix markets have successfully engaged
in anticompetitive coordination in the
past. Given these market conditions,
eliminating one of the few ready mix
concrete suppliers that can bid on large
projects is likely to increase further the
ability of the remaining competitors to
coordinate successfully.
Successful entry or expansion into the
production and distribution of ready
mix concrete for large projects is
difficult, time-consuming, and costly. In
order to be able to bid on large projects,
such as highways, bridges, and high-rise
buildings, it is not sufficient simply to
be able to produce ready mix concrete.
A new entrant or an existing producer
must have multiple ready mix concrete
plants in a geographic area, the ability
to produce large amounts of concrete
with multiple specifications, backup
plants, a large number of concrete
trucks, a sizeable and well trained
workforce, the demonstrated ability and
reputation to be able to service such a
large project, and considerable financial
backing to remedy any problems
relating to defective concrete.
In addition, opening a ready mix
concrete batch plant in a metropolitan
area is difficult because of the need to
acquire the land for the site of such a
batch plant. The location of a batch
plant is important because of the
perishability of the ready mix concrete.
In Florida, batch plants typically require
approximately three to five acres of land
to comply with environmental and land
use regulations. Finding the appropriate
site for such a plant close enough to the
large projects is difficult, because in
metropolitan areas such land is already
utilized or does not have the
appropriate zoning. Obtaining the land
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use permits or zoning variances is
difficult, costly, and time-consuming, as
well. Furthermore, in addition to
building the new batch plant, an entrant
would also have to secure sources of
cement and aggregate, which are inputs
into ready mix concrete. Accordingly,
entry or expansion by any other firm so
that it is able to bid on large ready mix
concrete projects will not be timely,
likely, or sufficient to deter an
anticompetitive price increase by Cemex
after the acquisition.
b. Concrete Block
In metropolitan Tampa/St. Petersburg
and metropolitan Fort Myers/Naples,
Florida, the acquisition will eliminate
competition between Cemex and Rinker.
The acquisition will give Cemex control
of approximately 60 percent of the
concrete block capacity in metropolitan
Tampa/St. Petersburg, and
approximately 69 percent of the
concrete block capacity in metropolitan
Fort Myers/Naples. The acquisition will
substantially increase the likelihood
that Cemex will unilaterally increase the
price of concrete block to a significant
number of customers in metropolitan
Tampa/St. Petersburg and metropolitan
Naples/Fort Myers. The responses of
other concrete block producers in the
relevant areas would not be sufficient to
constrain a unilateral exercise of market
power by Cemex after the acquisition. In
addition, without the constraint of
competition between Cemex and Rinker,
post-acquisition Cemex will have a
greater ability to exercise market power
by raising prices to customers for whom
Rinker and Cemex were their closest
and second-closest sources of concrete
block supply.
Further, Cemex’s elimination of
Rinker as an independent competitor in
the production and distribution of
concrete block is likely to facilitate
anticompetitive coordination among the
remaining concrete block producers in
each relevant geographic market.
Concrete block is a homogeneous
commodity and producers have access
to information about competitors’
output, capacity, and costs. Given these
market conditions, eliminating one of
the few concrete block competitors is
likely to increase further the ability of
the remaining competitors to coordinate
successfully.
Moreover, in metropolitan Tampa/St.
Petersburg and metropolitan Fort
Myers/Naples, successful entry or
expansion into the production and
distribution of concrete block is
difficult, time-consuming, and costly,
and such entry would not be timely,
likely, or sufficient to defeat an
anticompetitive price increase in the
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event that Cemex acquires Rinker.
Properly zoned parcels of land of the
necessary size are scarce. Locating or
securing proper zoning, development,
building, air quality, and environmental
permits and building a concrete block
plant can take more than two years.
Building a new concrete block plant
costs approximately $8 to $12 million.
Accordingly, entry or the threat of entry
into the concrete block market is not
likely to deter an anticompetitive price
increase by Cemex after the acquisition.
c. Aggregate
In metropolitan Tucson, the proposed
acquisition will eliminate competition
between Cemex and Rinker. The
proposed acquisition will also reduce
the number of significant suppliers of
aggregate from five to four in the market
generally, and, in some locations for
which the third or fourth most
proximate supplier faces higher
transportation costs than the nearest
two, the number of suppliers could be
reduced to as few as two or three. The
acquisition will substantially increase
the likelihood that Cemex will
unilaterally increase the price of
aggregate to a significant number of
customers.
Moreover, Cemex’s elimination of
Rinker as an independent competitor in
the production and distribution of
aggregate is likely to facilitate anticompetitive coordination among the
remaining aggregate producers in
Tucson. Aggregate is a homogeneous
commodity and producers have access
to information about competitors’
output, capacity, and costs. Given these
market conditions, eliminating one of
the few aggregate competitors is likely
to increase further the ability of the
remaining competitors to coordinate
successfully.
Further, in Tucson, successful entry
or expansion into the production and
distribution of aggregate is difficult,
time-consuming, and costly, and such
entry would not be timely, likely, or
sufficient to defeat an anticompetitive
price increase in the event that Cemex
acquires Rinker. There are few new sites
on which to locate aggregate pits in
metropolitan Tucson. First, for aggregate
used on transportation projects, the
aggregate pits must be located in a river
bed or wash. Second, aggregate is a
finite resource in metropolitan Tucson,
and several aggregate pits have been
depleted in the past several years.
Third, requests to open new aggregate
pits often face fierce public opposition.
Fourth, obtaining the necessary
environmental and land use permits for
aggregate pits is difficult in
metropolitan Tucson. Fifth, the Arizona
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Aggregate Mine Reclamation Act
requires financial assurances and other
requirements for companies seeking to
open a new aggregate pit, continuing to
operate an existing pit, or expanding an
existing pit. Accordingly, entry or the
threat of entry into the aggregate market
is not likely to deter an anticompetitive
price increase by Cemex after the
acquisition.
III. Explanation of the Proposed Final
Judgment
A. The Divestiture Assets
The divestitures provided for in the
proposed Final Judgment will eliminate
the anticompetitive effects of the
acquisition in the markets for the
production and distribution of: (1)
Ready mix concrete in the metropolitan
areas of Fort Walton Beach/Panama
City/Pensacola, Jacksonville, Orlando,
Tampa/St. Petersburg, and Fort Myers/
Naples, Florida, and the metropolitan
areas of Flagstaff and Tucson, Arizona;
(2) concrete block in the metropolitan
areas of Tampa/St. Petersburg and Fort
Myers/Naples, Florida; and (3) aggregate
in metropolitan Tucson, Arizona. In
each metropolitan area for ready mix
concrete, the divestitures will establish
a new, independent, and economically
viable competitor that can bid on large
projects, such as highways, bridges, and
high-rise buildings. In metropolitan
Tampa/St. Petersburg and Fort Myers/
Naples, the divestitures will also
establish new, independent, and
economically viable competitors that
can produce and distribute concrete
block. Further, the divestitures will
provide the new ready mix concrete
competitor in Tucson, Arizona, with
sufficient aggregate reserves to compete
effectively in that market.
The Divestiture Assets are:
A. Ready mix concrete plants:
1. Fort Walton Beach/Panama City/
Pensacola, Florida Area
a. Rinker’s Crestview plant, located at
5420 Fairchild Road, Crestview, FL
32539;
b. Rinker’s Fort Walton plant, located
at 1787 FIM Boulevard, Fort Walton
Beach, FL 32547;
c. Rinker’s Milton plant, located at
6250 Da Lisa Road, Milton, FL 32583;
d. Rinker’s Panama City plant, located
at 1901–B East 15th Street, Panama City,
FL 32405;
e. Rinker’s Panama City Beach plant,
located at 17750 Hutchinson Road,
Panama City Beach, FL 32407;
f. Rinker’s Pensacola plant, located at
415 Hyatt Street, Pensacola, FL 32503;
g. Rinker’s Port St. Joe plant, located
at 1145 Industrial Road, Port St. Joe, FL
32456;
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h. Rinker’s Point Washington plant,
located at the intersection of East
Highway 98 and Old Ferry Road, Santa
Rosa Beach, FL 32459;
2. Jacksonville, Florida Area
a. Cemex’s Main Street plant, located
at 9214 North Main Street, Jacksonville,
FL 32218;
b. Cemex’s Southside Florida Mining
Boulevard plant, located at 9715 East
Florida Mining Boulevard, Jacksonville,
FL 32223;
3. Orlando, Florida Area
a. Cemex’s East Orlando plant, located
at 7400 Narcoossee Road, Orlando, FL
32822;
b. Cemex’s Goldenrod plant, located
at 4000 Forsyth Road, Winter Park, FL
32792;
c. Cemex’s Winter Garden plant,
located at 201 Hennis Road, Winter
Garden, FL 34787;
d. Rinker’s Kennedy plant, located at
1406 Atlanta Avenue, Orlando, FL
32806;
4. Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida Area
a. Rinker’s Clearwater plant, located
at 3757 118th Avenue North,
Clearwater, FL 33762;
b. Rinker’s Odessa plant, located at
12025 State Road 54, Odessa, FL 33556;
c. Rinker’s Odessa Keys plant, located
at 11913 State Road 54, Odessa, FL
33556;
d. Rinker’s Riverview plant, located at
6723 South 78th Street, Riverview, FL
33569;
e. Rinker’s Tampa plant, located at
6106 East Hanna Avenue, Tampa, FL
33610;
f. Rinker’s Tampa Keys plant, located
at 1811 North 57th Street, Tampa, FL
33619;
5. Fort Myers/Naples, Florida Area
a. Rinker’s Ave Maria plant, located at
4811 Ave Maria Boulevard, Immokalee,
FL 34142;
b. Rinker’s Bonita Springs plant,
located at 25061 Old U.S. Highway 41
South, Bonita Springs, FL 34135;
c. Rinker’s Canal Street plant, located
at 4262 Canal Street, Fort Myers, FL
33916;
d. Rinker’s Cape Coral (Pine Island)
plant, located at 2401 SW Pine Island
Road, Cape Coral, FL 33991;
e. Rinker’s Naples plant, located at
9210 Collier Boulevard, Naples, FL
34114;
f. Rinker’s South Fort Myers plant,
located at 7270 Alico Road, Fort Myers,
FL 33912;
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6. Flagstaff, Arizona Area
Cemex’s Brannen plant, located at 633
East Brannen Avenue, Flagstaff, AZ
86001;
7. Tucson, Arizona Area
a. Cemex’s Ina plant, located at 5400
West Massingale Road, Tucson, AZ
85743;
b. Rinker’s Green Valley plant, located
at 18701 South Old Nogales Highway,
Sahuarita, AZ 85629;
c. Rinker’s Poorman Road plant,
located at 6500 South Old Spanish
Trail, Tucson, AZ 85747;
d. Rinker’s Valencia plant, located at
1011 West Valencia Road, Tucson, AZ
85706;
B. Concrete Block plants:
1. Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida Area
a. Rinker’s Odessa plant, located at
12025 State Road 54, Odessa, FL 33556;
b. Rinker’s Palmetto plant, located at
600 9th Street West, Palmetto, FL 34221;
c. Rinker’s Tampa plant, located at
6302 North 56th Street, Tampa, FL
33610;
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2. Fort Myers/Naples, Florida Area
a. Rinker’s Bonita Springs plant,
located at 25091 Old U.S. Highway 41
South, Bonita Springs, FL 34135;
b. Rinker’s Coral Rock plant, located
at 41451 Cook Brown Road, Punta
Gorda, FL 33982;
c. Rinker’s South Fort Myers plant,
located at 7270 Alico Road, Fort Myers,
FL 33912;
C. Aggregate plants:
1. Cemex’s Ina plant, located at 5400
West Massingale Road, Tucson, AZ
85743; and
2. Rinker’s Green Valley plant, located
at 18701 South Old Nogales Highway,
Sahuarita, AZ 85629.
The sale of the Divestiture Assets
according to the terms of the proposed
Final Judgment will ensure that Cemex’s
acquisition does not harm competition
in any of the affected geographic areas
for ready mix concrete, concrete block,
and aggregate. In the following
geographic areas, Cemex is required to
divest all of the ready mix concrete
plants it would acquire from Rinker:
Fort Walton Beach/Panama City/
Pensacola, Tampa/St. Petersburg, and
Fort Myers/Naples, Florida. In addition,
in Tampa/St. Petersburg and Fort/
Myers/Naples, Florida, Cemex is
required to divest all of the concrete
block plants it would acquire from
Rinker. Further, in Flagstaff, Arizona,
Cemex is required to divest its only
ready mix concrete plant and will
acquire only one ready mix concrete
plant from Rinker.
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In the other three metropolitan areas
of concern, the proposed Final
Judgment requires divestiture of a
sufficient number of ready mix concrete
plants to ensure that competition is
preserved. In metropolitan Orlando,
Florida, Cemex operates five plants and
Rinker operates four plants. The
proposed Final Judgment requires the
divestiture of four plants: (1) Three
Cemex plants located northwest,
northeast, and southeast of downtown
Orlando; and (2) one Rinker plant
located in downtown Orlando. With
these four plants, the acquirer will be
able to service large projects anywhere
in metropolitan Orlando, and for each of
the divested plants, another of those
plants could serve as an effective backup facility. The proposed Final
Judgment does not require the
divestiture of Cemex’s downtown
facility because it is co-located with one
of Rinker’s two downtown facilities, and
Cemex anticipates achieving efficiencies
in raw material supply by retaining its
plant and the downtown Rinker plant at
the same location.
Within the Jacksonville, Florida,
metropolitan area, Cemex currently
operates three plants and Rinker
operates four plants. The proposed Final
Judgment requires the divestiture of two
of Cemex’s plants—one south of
downtown and the other north.
Together these two plants will be able
to preserve pre-merger competition
between Cemex and Rinker in
Jacksonville. The proposed Final
Judgment does not require the
divestiture of Cemex’s downtown plant
because Rinker has no plant in the
downtown area, and the two plants to
be divested can service the downtown
area as or more effectively than Rinker’s
plants. Moreover, Cemex’s downtown
facility is co-located with a concrete
block plant that Cemex will retain and
a divestiture of the ready mix concrete
facilities at that location would not
allow Cemex to achieve efficiencies
related to the co-location.
In the Tucson, Arizona, metropolitan
area, Cemex operates four ready mix
concrete facilities and Rinker operates
five. The proposed Final Judgment
requires the divestiture of four ready
mix concrete facilities: three Rinker
facilities and one Cemex facility. This
relief is adequate to preserve
competition because it provides the
acquirer with the same number of ready
mix concrete facilities as Cemex
operates and ensures that the acquirer
will have access to supplies of
aggregates needed to compete
effectively. In particular, by requiring
the divestiture of Cemex’s Ina plant
instead of one of Rinker’s other two
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plants, and by separately requiring that
all of the divested ready mix concrete
plants be sold to the same acquirer that
purchases Rinker’s aggregate facilities at
Green Valley and Cemex’s aggregate
facilities at Ina, the proposed Final
Judgment will give the acquirer access
to aggregates that is at least equivalent
to that of Rinker.
B. Selected Provisions of the Proposed
Final Judgment
In antitrust cases involving mergers in
which the United States seeks a
divestiture remedy, it requires
completion of the divestiture within the
shortest time period reasonable under
the circumstances. A quick divestiture
has the benefits of restoring competition
lost in the acquisition and reducing the
possibility of dissipation of the value of
the assets. Paragraph (A) of the
proposed Final Judgment requires
Cemex to divest the Divestiture Assets
as viable ongoing businesses within 120
days after the Divestiture Trigger,3 or
five days after notice of the entry of the
Final Judgment by the Court, whichever
is later. The Divestiture Trigger is the
earlier of two dates: the date on which
Cemex elects a majority of the Board of
Directors of Rinker, or 45 days after
Cemex obtains a number of shares of
Rinker stock in excess of 50 percent of
the outstanding shares of Rinker. The
120-day time period to effectuate the
divestitures begins to run from the
Divestiture Trigger, rather than the filing
of the Complaint, because the deal
originally involved a hostile, cash
tender offer. Cemex represented to the
United States that under Australian law,
it could not effectuate the divestitures
until it had obtained in excess of 50
percent of the outstanding Rinker shares
and had elected a majority of Rinker’s
Board of Directors. The Divestiture
Trigger thus requires Cemex to start the
120-day clock as soon as it elects a
majority of the Rinker Board and can
effectuate the divestitures, while
establishing an outer time limit of 45
days if Cemex obtains the majority of
outstanding shares but delays electing a
new Board.
Given that the proposed transaction is
a tender offer, the proposed Final
Judgment contains provisions to ensure
that relief will be effective. Paragraph
3 In this matter, the proposed Final Judgment
provides that Cemex has 120 days after the
Divestiture Trigger to accomplish the divestitures
because they involve multiple geographic markets
and several different types of assets. During the
period before Cemex effectuates the divestitures,
the Amended Hold Separate Stipulation and Order
will preserve the assets to be divested and require
that each defendant continue to operate its assets
separately from the other’s assets, thereby
maintaining competition.
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IV(J) of the proposed Final Judgment
requires that Cemex divest all its
interest in Rinker within six months
from the date that the Final Judgment is
signed by the Court if Cemex does not
acquire a number of shares of Rinker
stock in excess of 50 percent of the
outstanding shares of Rinker. This
provision ensures that if Cemex does
not acquire a sufficient number of
shares to effectuate the divestiture of the
assets owned by Rinker prior to an
acquisition by Cemex, then Cemex will
not be permitted to own enough shares
of Rinker to allow Cemex to have some
form of control over Rinker even though
it is unable to effectuate the divestitures.
In addition, if for any reason Cemex
is unable to divest any of the Divestiture
Assets or make those assets available for
sale by the trustee, or if Cemex cannot
warrant that the Divestiture Assets will
be operational on the date of the
divestiture and that there are no
material defects in the environmental,
zoning, or other permits pertaining to
the operation of the Divestiture Assets,
paragraph IV(H) provides that for each
affected asset, the United States, in its
sole discretion, may select one or more
alternative assets owned by Cemex that
are located in the same geographic area
to be divested in lieu of the affected
Divestiture Asset.4 This provision is
necessary to protect against a variety of
situations in which a Divestiture Asset
owned by Rinker prior to the acquisition
by Cemex could not be divested. This
will ensure that each acquirer has
sufficient assets to be able to compete
for the projects for which Cemex and
Rinker currently compete.
Further, paragraph IV(I) of the
proposed Final Judgment provides that
all the ready mix concrete plants in a
geographic area must be divested to a
single acquirer, all the concrete block
plants in a geographic area must be
divested to a single acquirer, and both
aggregate plants in Tucson must be
divested to the same acquirer that
purchases the Tucson-area divested
ready mix concrete plants. This
provision ensures that Cemex’s
acquisition does not harm competition
4 Paragraph IV(H) does not apply to the Fort
Walton Beach/Panama City/Pensacola area, where
Cemex’s ready mix concrete assets are owned and
operated through a joint venture between Cemex
and Ready Mix USA, Inc. Accordingly, Cemex is
not able unilaterally to sell any of its ready mix
concrete plants in that area and it would be
extremely difficult and costly for Cemex to
terminate its interest in the joint venture. The
United States determined that the benefit of
requiring Cemex to terminate its interest in the joint
venture or to make these assets available for sale
would be significantly outweighed by the negative
impact on the joint venture, which operates in a
large number of areas that are unaffected by
Cemex’s acquisition of Rinker.
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in the affected product and geographic
markets.
Paragraph IV(I) of the proposed Final
Judgment also provides that the assets
must be divested in such a way as to
satisfy the United States in its sole
discretion that the operations can and
will be operated by the purchaser as a
viable, ongoing business that can
compete effectively in the relevant
market. Cemex must take all reasonable
steps necessary to accomplish the
divestitures quickly and shall cooperate
with prospective purchasers.
Finally, section V of the proposed
Final Judgment provides that in the
event that Cemex does not accomplish
the divestitures within the periods
prescribed in the proposed Final
Judgment, the Court will appoint a
trustee selected by the United States to
effect the divestitures. If a trustee is
appointed, the proposed Final Judgment
provides that Cemex will pay all costs
and expenses of the trustee. The
trustee’s commission will be structured
so as to provide an incentive for the
trustee based on the price obtained and
the speed with which the divestitures
are accomplished. After his or her
appointment becomes effective, the
trustee will file monthly reports with
the Court and the United States setting
forth his or her efforts to accomplish the
divestitures. If the divestitures have not
been accomplished at the end of the six
months, the trustee and the United
States will make recommendations to
the Court, which shall enter such orders
as appropriate in order to carry out the
purpose of the trust, including
extending the trust or the term of the
trustee’s appointment.
32329
after compliance with the provisions of
the APPA, provided that the United
States has not withdrawn its consent
The APPA conditions entry upon the
Court’s determination that the proposed
Final Judgment is in the public interest.
The APPA provides a period of at
least sixty days preceding the effective
date of the proposed Final Judgment
within which any person may submit to
the United States written comments
regarding the proposed Final Judgment.
Any person who wishes to comment
should do so within sixty days of the
date of publication of this Competitive
Impact Statement in the Federal
Register. All comments received during
this period will be considered by the
Department of Justice, which remains
free to withdraw its consent to the
proposed Final Judgment at any time
prior to the Court’s entry of judgment.
The comments and the response of the
United States will be filed with the
Court and published in the Federal
Register.
Written comments should be
submitted to: Maribeth Petrizzi, Chief,
Litigation II Section, 1401 H St. NW.,
Suite 3000, Antitrust Division, United
States Department of Justice,
Washington, DC 20530.
The proposed Final Judgment provides
that the Court retains jurisdiction over
this action, and the parties may apply to
the Court for any order necessary or
appropriate for the modification,
interpretation, or enforcement of the
proposed Final Judgment.
IV. Remedies Available to Potential
Private Litigants
Section 4 of the Clayton Act (15
U.S.C. 15) provides that any person who
has been injured as a result of conduct
prohibited by the antitrust laws may
bring suit in federal court to recover
three times the damages the person has
suffered, as well as costs and reasonable
attorneys’ fees. Entry of the proposed
Final Judgment will neither impair nor
assist the bringing of any private
antitrust damage action. Under the
provisions of Section 5(a) of the Clayton
Act (15 U.S.C. 16(a)), the proposed Final
Judgment has no prima facie effect in
any subsequent private lawsuit that may
be brought against the defendants.
VI. Alternatives to the Proposed Final
Judgment
The United States considered, as an
alternative to the proposed Final
Judgment, a full trial on the merits
against defendants. The United States
could have continued the litigation and
sought preliminary and permanent
injunctions against Cemex’s acquisition
of Rinker. The United States is satisfied,
however, that the divestiture of assets
described in the proposed Final
Judgment will preserve competition for
the production and distribution of ready
mix concrete, concrete block, and
aggregate in the markets identified by
the United States and that such a
remedy would achieve all or
substantially all the relief the United
States would have obtained through
litigation, but avoids the time and
expense of a trial.
V. Procedures Available for
Modification of the Proposed Final
Judgment
The United States and defendants
have stipulated that the proposed Final
Judgment may be entered by the Court
VII. Standard of Review Under the
APPA for the Proposed Final Judgment
The APPA requires that proposed
consent judgments in antitrust cases
brought by the United States be subject
to a sixty-day comment period, after
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which the Court shall determine
whether entry of the proposed Final
Judgment ‘‘is in the public interest.’’ 15
U.S.C. 16(e)(1). In making that
determination, the Court shall consider:
(A) The competitive impact of such
judgment, including termination of alleged
violations, provisions for enforcement and
modification, duration or relief sought,
anticipated effects of alternative remedies
actually considered, whether its terms are
ambiguous, and any other competitive
considerations bearing upon the adequacy of
such judgment that the court deems
necessary to a determination of whether the
consent judgment is in the public interest;
and
(B) The impact of entry of such judgment
upon competition in the relevant market or
markets, upon the public generally and
individuals alleging specific injury from the
violations set forth in the complaint
including consideration of the public benefit,
if any, to be derived from a determination of
the issues at trial.
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15 U.S.C. 16(e)(1)(A) & (B). As the
United States Court of Appeals for the
District of Columbia Circuit has held,
under the APPA a court considers,
among other things, the relationship
between the remedy secured and the
specific allegations set forth in the
government’s complaint, whether the
decree is sufficiently clear, whether
enforcement mechanisms are sufficient,
and whether the decree may positively
harm third parties. See United States v.
Microsoft Corp., 56 F.3d 1448, 1458–62
(D.C. Cir. 1995).
With respect to the adequacy of the
relief secured by the decree, a court may
not ‘‘engage in an unrestricted
evaluation of what relief would best
serve the public.’’ United States v. BNS,
Inc., 858 F.2d 456, 462 (9th Cir. 1988)
(citing United States v. Bechtel Corp.,
648 F.2d 660, 666 (9th Cir. 1981)); see
also Microsoft, 56 F.3d at 1460–62.
Courts have held that:
[t]he balancing of competing social and
political interests affected by a proposed
antitrust consent decree must be left, in the
first instance, to the discretion of the
Attorney General. The court’s role in
protecting the public interest is one of
insuring that the government has not
breached its duty to the public in consenting
to the decree. The court is required to
determine not whether a particular decree is
the one that will best serve society, but
whether the settlement is ‘‘within the reaches
of the public interest.’’ More elaborate
requirements might undermine the
effectiveness of antitrust enforcement by
consent decree.
Bechtel, 648 F.2d at 666 (emphasis
added) (citations omitted).5 In making
5 Cf.
BNS, 858 F.2d at 463 (holding that the
court’s ‘‘ultimate authority under the [APPA] is
limited to approving or disapproving the consent
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its public interest determination, a
district court must accord due respect to
the government’s prediction as to the
effect of proposed remedies, its
perception of the market structure, and
its views of the nature of the case.
United States v. Archer-DanielsMidland Co., 272 F. Supp. 2d 1, 6
(D.D.C. 2003).
Court approval of a final judgment
requires a standard that is more flexible
and less strict than the standard
required for a finding of liability. ‘‘[A]
proposed decree must be approved even
if it falls short of the remedy the court
would impose on its own, as long as it
falls within the range of acceptability or
is ‘within the reaches of public
interest.‘‘ United States v. Am. Tel. &
Tel. Co., 552 F. Supp. 131, 151 (D.D.C.
1982) (citations omitted) (quoting
United States v. Gillette Co., 406 F.
Supp. 713, 716 (D. Mass. 1975)), aff’d
sub nom. Maryland v. United States,
460 U.S. 1001 (1983); see also United
States v. Alcan Aluminum Ltd., 605 F.
Supp. 619, 622 (W.D. Ky. 1985)
(approving the consent decree even
though the court would have imposed a
greater remedy). The Court ‘‘must
accord deference to the government’s
predictions about the efficacy of its
remedies, and may not require that the
remedies perfectly match the alleged
violations because this may only reflect
underlying weakness in the
government’s case or concessions made
during negotiation.’’ United States v.
SBC Commc’ns, Inc., Nos. 05–2102 and
05–2103, 200FWL 1020746, at *16
(D.D.C. Mar. 29, 2007).
Moreover, the Court’s role under the
APPA is limited to reviewing the
remedy in relationship to the violations
that the United States has alleged in its
Complaint, and does not authorize the
Court to ‘‘construct [its] own
hypothetical case and then evaluate the
decree against that case.’’ Microsoft, 56
F.3d at 1459. Because the ‘‘court’s
authority to review the decree depends
entirely on the government’s exercising
its prosecutorial discretion by bringing
a case in the first place,’’ it follows that
‘‘the court is only authorized to review
the decree itself,’’ and not to ‘‘effectively
redraft the complaint’’ to inquire into
other matters that the United States did
not pursue. Id. at 1459–60. As this Court
recently confirmed in SBC Commc’ns,
courts ‘‘cannot look beyond the
decree’’); Gillette, 406 F. Supp. at 716 (noting that,
in this way, the court is constrained to ‘‘look at the
overall picture not hypercritically, nor with a
microscope, but with an artist’s reducing glass’’).
See generally Microsoft, 56 F.3d at 1461 (discussing
whether ‘‘the remedies [obtained in the decree are]
so inconsonant with the allegations charged as to
fall outside of the ‘reaches of the public interest‘ ’’).
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complaint in making the public interest
determination unless the complaint is
drafted so narrowly as to make a
mockery of judicial power.’’ 2007 WL
1020746, at *14.
In 2004, Congress amended the APPA
to ensure that courts take into account
the above-quoted list of relevant factors
when making a public interest
determination. Compare 15 U.S.C. 16(e)
(2004) with 15 U.S.C. 16(e)(1) (2006)
(substituting ‘‘shall’’ for ‘‘may’’ in
directing relevant factors for court to
consider and amending list of factors to
focus on competitive considerations and
to address potentially ambiguous
judgment terms).
These amendments, however, did not
change the fundamental role of courts in
reviewing proposed settlements. To the
contrary, Congress made clear its intent
to preserve the practical benefits of
utilizing consent decrees in antitrust
enforcement, adding the unambiguous
instruction ‘‘[n]othing in this section
shall be construed to require the court
to conduct an evidentiary hearing or to
require the court to permit anyone to
intervene.’’ 15 U.S.C. 16(e)(2). This
language codified the intent of the
original 1974 statute, expressed by
Senator Tunney in the legislative
history: ‘‘[t]he court is nowhere
compelled to go to trial or to engage in
extended proceedings which might have
the effect of vitiating the benefits of
prompt and less costly settlement
through the consent decree process.’’
119 Cong. Rec. 24,598 (1973) (statement
of Senator Tunney). Rather:
[a]bsent a showing of corrupt failure of the
government to discharge its duty, the Court,
in making its public interest finding, should
* * * carefully consider the explanations of
the government in the competitive impact
statement and its responses to comments in
order to determine whether those
explanations are reasonable under the
circumstances.
United States v. Mid-Am. Dairymen,
Inc., 1977–1 Trade Cas. (CCH) ¶ 61,508,
at 71,980 (W.D. Mo. 1977).
This Court recently examined the role
of the district court in reviewing
proposed final judgments in light of the
2004 amendments, confirming that the
amendments ‘‘effected minimal
changes[ ] and that this Court’s scope of
review remains sharply proscribed by
precedent and the nature of Tunney Act
proceedings.’’ SBC Commc’ns, 2007 WL
1020746, at *9. This Court concluded
that the amendments did not alter the
articulation of the public interest
standard in Microsoft. See id. at *15.
VIII. Determinative Documents
There are no determinative materials
or documents within the meaning of the
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 112 / Tuesday, June 12, 2007 / Notices
APPA that were considered by the
United States in formulating the
proposed Final Judgment.
Certificate of Service
I, Frederick H. Parmenter, hereby certify
that on May ll, 2007, I caused a copy of
the foregoing Competitive Impact Statement
to be served on defendants Cemex, S.A.B. de
C.V. and Rinker Group Limited by mailing
the document electronically to the duly
authorized representative of the defendant as
follows:
Counsel for Defendant Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V.
John E. Beerbower, Esquire, Cravath,
Swaine & Moore LLP, Worldwide Plaza, 825
Eighth Avenue, New York, New York
110019, jbeerbower@cravath.com.
Counsel for Defendant Rinker Group Limited
Kevin J. Arquit, Esquire, Peter C. Thomas,
Esquire, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP,
425 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York
10017, karquit@stblaw.com,
pthomas@stblaw.com.
Frederick H. Parmenter, VA Bar No.
18184,
Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice,
Antitrust Division, Litigation II Section,
1401 H Street, NW., Suite 3000,
Washington, DC 20530, (202) 307–0620.
[FR Doc. 07–2856 Filed 6–11–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410–11–M
NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS
ADMINISTRATION
Advisory Committee on the Records of
Congress; Meeting
National Archives and Records
Administration.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
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AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In accordance with the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, the
National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA) announces a
meeting of the Advisory Committee on
the Records of Congress. The committee
advises NARA on the full range of
programs, policies, and plans for the
Center for Legislative Archives in the
Office of Records Services.
DATES: June 25, 2007 from 10 a.m. to 11
a.m.
ADDRESSES: The U.S. Capitol Building,
Room S–211, Washington, DC.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Richard H. Hunt, Director; Center for
Legislative Archives; (202) 357–5350.
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5. The number of annual respondents:
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Dated: May 23, 2007.
Respectfully submitted,
Frederick H. Parmenter, VA Bar No. 18184,
Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice,
Antitrust Division, Litigation II Section, 1401
H Street, NW., Suite 3000, Washington, DC
20530, (202) 307–0620.
Agenda:
Introduction of New Members
Discussion of Committee Goals
Update on the Center for Legislative
Archives
Other current issues and new business
The meeting is open to the public.
Dated: June 7, 2007.
Mary Ann Hadyka,
Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. E7–11284 Filed 6–11–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7515–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC).
ACTION: Notice of pending NRC action to
submit an information collection
request to OMB and solicitation of
public comment.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The NRC is preparing a
submittal to OMB for review of
continued approval of information
collections under the provisions of the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. Chapter 35).
Information pertaining to the
requirement to be submitted:
1. The title of the information
collection: NRC Form 327, Special
Nuclear Material (SNM) and Source
Material (SM) Physical Inventory
Summary Report, and NUREG/BR–0096,
Instructions and Guidance for
Completing Physical Inventory
Summary Reports.
2. Current OMB approval number:
3150–0139.
3. How often the collection is
required: The frequency of reporting
corresponds to the frequency of required
inventories, which depends essentially
on the strategic significance of the SNM
covered by the particular license.
Certain licensees possessing strategic
SNM are required to report inventories
every 6 months. Licensees possessing
SNM of moderate strategic significance
must report every 9 months in
accordance with the revised regulation
in 10 CFR part 74.43. Licensees
possessing SNM of low strategic
significance must report annually,
except two licensees must report their
dynamic inventories every 2 months
and a static inventory on an annual
basis.
4. Who is required or asked to report:
Fuel facility licensees possessing special
nuclear material.
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32331
9.
6. The number of hours needed
annually to complete the requirement or
request: 100 hours (an average of
approximately 4 hours per response for
25 responses).
7. Abstract: NRC Form 327 is
submitted by fuel facility licensees to
account for special nuclear material.
The data is used by NRC to assess
licensee material control and accounting
programs and to confirm the absence of
(or detect the occurrence of) special
nuclear material theft or diversion.
NUREG/BR–0096 provides specific
guidance and instructions for
completing the form in accordance with
the requirements appropriate for a
particular licensee.
Submit, by August 13, 2007,
comments that address the following
questions:
1. Is the proposed collection of
information necessary for the NRC to
properly perform its functions? Does the
information have practical utility?
2. Is the burden estimate accurate?
3. Is there a way to enhance the
quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected?
4. How can the burden of the
information collection be minimized,
including the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology?
A copy of the draft supporting
statement may be viewed free of charge
at the NRC Public Document Room, One
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville
Pike, Room O–1 F21, Rockville, MD
20852. OMB clearance requests are
available at the NRC worldwide Web
site: https://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/
doc-comment/omb/. The
document will be available on the NRC
home page site for 60 days after the
signature date of this notice.
Comments and questions about the
information collection requirement may
be directed to the NRC Clearance
Officer, Margaret A. Janney (T–5 F52),
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555–0001, by
telephone at 301–415–7245, or by
Internet electronic mail to
INFOCOLLECTS@NRC.GOV.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day
of June, 2007.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Margaret A. Janney,
NRC Clearance Officer, Office of Information
Services.
[FR Doc. E7–11301 Filed 6–11–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 112 (Tuesday, June 12, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32314-32331]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-2856]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Antitrust Division
United States v. Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V., Proposed Final Judgment
and Competitive Impact Statement
Notice is hereby given pursuant to the Antitrust Procedures and
Penalties Act, 15 U.S.C. 16(b)-(h), that a proposed Final Judgment,
Hold Separate Stipulation and Order, and Competitive Impact Statement
have been filed with the United States District Court for the District
of Columbia in United States v. Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V., Civil Action No.
1:07-cv-00640. On April 4, 2007, the United States filed a Complaint to
enjoin Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. from acquiring Rinker Group Limited. On
May 2, 2007, the United States filed an Amended Complaint naming Rinker
as a defendant in the suit. The Amended Complaint alleges that Cemex's
acquisition of Rinker would substantially lessen competition in the
production and distribution of ready mix concrete in certain
metropolitan areas of Florida and Arizona, of concrete block in certain
metropolitan areas of Florida, and of aggregate in the metropolitan
area of Tucson, Arizona, in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act,
as amended, 15 U.S.C. 18. The proposed Final Judgment requires Cemex,
once it obtains control of Rinker, to divest (1) Ready mix concrete
plants in the metropolitan areas of Fort Walton Beach/Panama City/
Pensacola, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa/St. Petersburg, and Fort Myers/
Naples, Florida and the metropolitan areas Flagstaff and Tucson,
Arizona; (2) concrete block plants in metropolitan Tampa/St. Petersburg
and Fort Myers/Naples, Florida; and (3) aggregate plants in
metropolitan Tucson, Arizona.
Copies of the Amended Complaint, proposed Final Judgment, and
Competitive Impact Statement are available for inspection at the
Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, Antitrust Documents Group,
325 7th Street, NW., Room 215, Washington, DC 20530 (telephone: 202-
514-2481), on the Department of Justice's Web site at https://
www.usdoj.gov/atr, and at the Office of the Clerk of the United States
District Court for the District of Columbia, Washington, DC. Copies of
these materials may be obtained from the Antitrust Division upon
request and payment of a copying fee set by Department of Justice
regulations.
Public comment is invited within 60 days of the date of this
notice. Such comments, and responses thereto, will be published in the
Federal Register and filed with the Court. Comments should be directed
to Maribeth Petrizzi, Chief, Litigation II Section, Antitrust Division,
U.S. Department of Justice, 1401 H Street, NW., Suite 3000, Washington,
DC 20530 (telephone: 202-307-0924).
Patricia A. Brink,
Deputy Director of Operations.
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
United States of America, Department of Justice, Antitrust
Division, 1401 H Street, NW., Suite 3000, Washington, DC 20530,
Plaintiff, v. Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V., Av. Ricardo Margain Zozaya
#325, Colonia del Valle Campestre, Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
66265, and Rinker Group Limited, Level 8, Tower B, 799 Pacific
Highway, Chatsworth, NSW 2067, Australia, Defendants.
Case No.: 1:07-cv-00640.
Judge: Hon. Royce C. Lamberth.
Deck Type: Antitrust.
Date Stamp: May 2, 2007.
Amended Complaint
Plaintiff United States of America (``United States''), acting
under the direction of the Attorney General of the United States,
brings this civil antitrust action to obtain equitable and other relief
against defendants, Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. (``Cemex'') and Rinker Group
Limited (``Rinker'') to prevent Cemex's proposed acquisition of Rinker.
Plaintiff complains and alleges as follows:
I. Nature of the Action
1. On October 27, 2006, Cemex Australia Pty Ltd., an entity
controlled by Cemex, initiated a hostile cash tender offer to acquire
all of the outstanding shares of Rinker. The total enterprise value of
the transaction offer when made on October 27, 2007, including Rinker's
debt, was approximately $12 billion. The offer was due to expire on
March 30, 2007, but Cemex extended it until April 27, 2007.
2. On April 9, 2007, Cemex announced that it had signed an
agreement with Rinker, pursuant to which Cemex increased its offer to
make the total enterprise value of the transaction, including Rinker's
debt, approximately $15 billion. This offer expired on May 18, 2007,
and it is subject to the acquisition of 90 percent of Rinker's shares.
As part of the agreement, Rinker's Board of Directors unanimously
agreed to recommend to its shareholders that they accept Cemex's
increased offer at the higher price, in the absence of a superior
proposal.
3. Cemex and Rinker both produce and distribute building materials,
including, among other things, ready mix concrete, aggregate, and
concrete block, throughout the world.
4. The combination of Cemex and Rinker would create one of the
world's largest building materials companies. Cemex's proposed
acquisition of Rinker would reduce the number of significant suppliers
of ready mix concrete in various metropolitan areas in Florida and
Arizona, of concrete block in several metropolitan areas in Florida,
and of aggregate in Tucson, Arizona.
5. The United States brings this action to prevent the proposed
acquisition because it would substantially lessen competition in the
production and distribution of ready mix concrete in the metropolitan
areas of Fort Walton Beach/Panama City/Pensacola, Jacksonville,
Orlando, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fort Myers/Naples, Florida, and the
metropolitan areas of Flagstaff and Tucson, Arizona. In addition, the
acquisition would substantially lessen competition in the production
and distribution of concrete block in metropolitan Tampa/St. Petersburg
and Fort Myers/Naples, Florida. Finally, the acquisition would
substantially lessen competition in the production and distribution of
aggregate in metropolitan Tucson, Arizona.
II. Parties to the Proposed Transaction
6. Defendant Cemex is organized under the laws of the United
Mexican States with its principal place of business in Nuevo
Le[oacute]n, Mexico. Cemex operates in the United States through its
wholly owned subsidiary, Cemex, Inc., which has its principal place of
business in Houston, Texas. In 2006,
[[Page 32315]]
Cemex reported total sales of approximately $24.6 billion.
7. Cemex produces and distributes cement, ready mix concrete,
aggregate, concrete block, concrete pipe, and related building
materials to customers in more than 50 countries. Approximately 25
percent of Cemex's revenues are earned in the United States. Cemex is
the largest United States supplier of ready mix concrete and cement and
the seventh largest United States supplier of aggregate.
8. Defendant Rinker is organized under the laws of Australia with
its principal place of business in Chatswood, Australia. Rinker
operates in the United States through its subsidiary, Rinker Materials
Corporation. Rinker Materials Corporation has its principal place of
business in West Palm Beach, Florida. In 2006, Rinker reported total
sales of approximately $4 billion.
9. Rinker produces and distributes aggregate, ready mix concrete,
cement, concrete block, asphalt, concrete pipe, and other construction
materials through its operations in the United States and Australia.
Approximately 80 percent of Rinker's revenues are earned in the United
States. Rinker is the second largest United States supplier of ready
mix concrete and the fifth largest United States supplier of aggregate.
III. Jurisdiction and Venue
10. Plaintiff United States brings this action under Section 15 of
the Clayton Act, as amended, 15 U.S.C. 25, to prevent and restrain
defendants from violating Section 7 of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. 18.
11. Defendants produce and distribute ready mix concrete, concrete
block, and aggregate in the flow of interstate commerce. Defendants'
activities in producing and distributing these products substantially
affect interstate commerce. This Court has subject matter jurisdiction
over this action pursuant to Section 12 of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C.
22, and 28 U.S.C. 1331, 1337(a), and 1345.
12. Venue is proper in this District pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1391(d).
Further, defendants have consented to venue and personal jurisdiction
in this judicial district.
IV. Trade and Commerce
A. The Relevant Product Markets
1. Ready Mix Concrete
13. Ready mix concrete is a building material made up of a
combination of cement, fine and coarse aggregate, small amounts of
chemical additives, and water. The amount of cement added to a concrete
mixture determines its strength, which is measured in pounds per square
inch (``psi''). Concrete with higher psi ratings is typically used for
large state department of transportation highway and bridge projects
and high-rise buildings. Concrete with lower psi ratings is typically
used for residential and curb-and-gutter construction projects.
14. Ready mix concrete is made at production facilities called
batch plants. A batch plant measures the precise amount of dry input
products needed to manufacture a given type of concrete. The mixture is
then dumped into a rotating drum mounted on a heavy duty truck.
Immediately before the truck departs the plant, a measured amount of
water is added. Once the water hits the dry mixture, an irreversible
chemical reaction is triggered causing the product to begin to set into
a rigid building substance. The concrete components are mixed by the
rotating drum while the truck is being driven to the job site. At the
job site, the concrete is poured directly from the truck onto the
project.
15. Ready mix concrete is unique because it is pliable when freshly
mixed, can be molded into a variety of forms, and it is strong and
permanent when hardened. For many building applications, customers will
not substitute other building materials, such as steel, wood, or
asphalt, for ready mix concrete. Steel is often not a substitute for
ready mix concrete because it cannot be poured and formed into smooth,
regular planes. Wood is often not a substitute because it does not have
the structural strength to support heavy loads. Asphalt is often not a
substitute because it cannot be used for the structural portions of
bridges, cannot be used for buildings, and for certain applications
cannot be used for highways.
16. Ready mix concrete is sold pursuant to bids, which are based on
extensive specifications from the customer regarding, among other
things, the amount of concrete, the various strengths of concrete, and
the size and timing of the concrete pours. The needs of the customer
can differ significantly by each project.
17. Not all suppliers of ready mix concrete can service every kind
of project. For example, servicing certain types of ``large projects,''
such as large state department of transportation highway and bridge
building projects and high-rise building projects, requires ready mix
concrete suppliers to be able to provide: (a) A large number of cubic
yards of concrete; (b) large daily pours of concrete, which require the
concrete supplier to schedule trucks to arrive continuously at a
project; (c) concrete having multiple psi specifications; and (d)
testing to insure the concrete meets project engineering
specifications.
18. If the concrete does not meet the project specifications or the
concrete is not poured continuously, the customer may suffer
substantial direct and consequential losses as a result of defective
concrete. Contractors building large projects carefully select
suppliers to minimize the chances of problems with the concrete. .
19. Purchasers of ready mix concrete for such large projects
require that their suppliers have: (a) Multiple ready mix concrete
plants in a geographic area; (b) the ability to produce large amounts
of concrete with multiple specifications; (c) backup plants; (d) a
large number of concrete trucks; (e) a sizeable and well-trained
workforce; (f) the demonstrated ability to service such a large
project; and (g) considerable financial backing to remedy any problems
relating to defective concrete.
20. Each large project is bid separately and ready mix concrete
suppliers can identify the specific market conditions that apply to
each large project, including the number of competitors that
potentially could service the project's requirements. Ready mix
concrete suppliers can and do charge different prices to customers
based on the particular project's requirements and the market
conditions.
21. A small but significant post-acquisition increase in the price
of ready mix concrete that meets the bid specifications would not cause
the purchasers of ready mix concrete for large projects to substitute
another building material in sufficient quantities, or to utilize a
supplier of ready mix concrete without the characteristics described in
paragraph 19 above with sufficient frequency so as to make such a price
increase unprofitable.
22. Accordingly, the production, distribution, and sale of ready
mix concrete for use in large projects is a line of commerce and a
relevant product market within the meaning of Section 7 of the Clayton
Act.
2. Concrete Block
23. Concrete block is a construction material used to build
exterior and interior walls in residential and commercial structures.
Concrete block comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Standard
concrete blocks measure 8 inches by 8 inches by 16 inches and are
composed of two hollow squares joined to form a rectangle.
24. Concrete block is produced by pouring concrete into molds and
[[Page 32316]]
pressing the molded blocks onto a conveyor belt for transport to a kiln
for curing. Concrete blocks are then delivered to storage yards for
final hardening and storage.
25. In Florida, from Orlando south, the walls of residential
structures are built almost exclusively with concrete block. Wood is
not a viable substitute because of its susceptibility to termite and
hurricane damage. Poured concrete walls (``tilt up'' walls) are at
least 10 percent more expensive than concrete block, except where a
large number of identical structures with regular shapes are built on
contiguous lots using a single mold. In addition, block made of
polyurethane is not an economically viable substitute because it is
difficult to install and does not withstand hurricane winds as well as
concrete block.
26. For nearly all residential construction applications in
Florida, from Orlando south, a small but significant post-acquisition
increase in the price of concrete block would not cause the purchasers
of concrete block to substitute another product in sufficient
quantities so as to make such a price increase unprofitable.
27. Accordingly, within the state of Florida, from Orlando south,
the production and distribution of concrete block is a line of commerce
and a relevant product market within the meaning of Section 7 of the
Clayton Act.
3. Aggregate
28. Aggregate is rock mined from either quarries or pits. Aggregate
is crushed, washed, and mixed with sand, cement, and water to produce
ready mix concrete. It is also used to make asphalt concrete for use in
building roads. Different sizes of rock are needed to meet different
ready mix concrete and asphalt specifications.
29. There are no substitutes for aggregate because aggregate
differs from other types of stone products in its physical composition,
functional characteristics, customary uses, and pricing. It must meet
the state departments of transportation or American Society of Testing
Materials' specifications for the specific type of asphalt or ready mix
concrete being produced.
30. A small but significant post-acquisition increase in the price
of aggregate that meets state departments of transportation and
American Society of Testing Materials' specifications for use in ready
mix concrete and asphalt projects would not cause the purchasers of
such aggregate to substitute another product in sufficient quantities
so as to make such a price increase unprofitable.
31. Accordingly, the production and distribution of aggregate that
meets state departments of transportation and American Society of
Testing materials' specifications for use in ready mix concrete and
asphalt projects is a line of commerce and a relevant product market
within the meaning of Section 7 of the Clayton Act.
B. The Relevant Geographic Markets
1. Ready Mix Concrete
32. The ready mix concrete needed for large projects, such as
highways, bridges, and high-rise buildings, is bid on a project-by-
project basis. Ready mix concrete suppliers can identify the specific
market conditions that apply to each project, including the number of
competitors that potentially could service the location of the project.
Ready mix concrete suppliers charge different prices to customers based
on the particular location of a project.
33. The suppliers with the ability to bid on large projects are
those with plants located within the metropolitan area in which the
project is located. The cost of transporting ready mix concrete is high
compared to the value of the product. As concrete is hauled greater
distances, the transportation costs begin to diminish the profitability
of a load of concrete. Therefore, suppliers attempt to stay close to
their batch plants to minimize the cost of hauling concrete.
34. Further, because concrete begins to set while being driven to
the job site, it is highly perishable. Therefore, contractors and state
departments of transportation typically limit the time concrete can
spend in a truck to 90 minutes or less. This time may be even shorter
in hot weather conditions. This time period is measured from the moment
the water hits the dry concrete inputs in the truck until the concrete
is poured out of the truck. Because of this 90-minute window,
contractors and state departments of transportation typically allow
only a portion--often only 30 minutes--to be consumed by driving time.
If the concrete is driven for a longer period of time, there may be
insufficient time for the concrete to be completely poured onto the
project within the 90-minute window.
35. Due to its perishability and the cost of hauling concrete,
depending on the size of the city and the associated traffic, the
distance concrete can reasonably be transported for large projects,
such as highways, bridges, and high-rise buildings in a metropolitan
area is limited to the metropolitan area and, in many cases, to only
portions of that area.
36. The relevant geographic markets, within the meaning of Section
7 of the Clayton Act, consist of the locations within the metropolitan
areas of Fort Walton Beach/Panama City/Pensacola, Jacksonville,
Orlando, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fort Myers/Naples, Florida, and the
metropolitan areas of Flagstaff and Tucson, Arizona, to which Cemex and
Rinker are among a small number of firms that compete to supply ready
mix concrete for large projects.
2. Concrete Block
37. The cost of transporting concrete block is high compared to the
value of the product. Manufacturers or third-party haulers deliver
concrete block to customer job sites by truck. As delivery distance
increases, the ratio of transportation costs to the price of concrete
block increases. In urban areas, this most often confines the transport
of concrete block to the metropolitan area.
38. A small but significant post-acquisition increase in the price
of concrete block in metropolitan Tampa/St. Petersburg would not cause
customers of concrete block to procure concrete block from outside this
area in sufficient quantities so as to make such a price increase
unprofitable.
39. Accordingly, metropolitan Tampa/St. Petersburg is a relevant
geographic market within the meaning of Section 7 of the Clayton Act.
40. Similarly, a small but significant post-acquisition increase in
the price of concrete block in metropolitan Fort Myers/Naples would not
cause customers of concrete block to procure concrete block from
outside this area so as to make such a price increase unprofitable.
41. Accordingly, metropolitan Fort Myers/Naples is a relevant
geographic market within the meaning of Section 7 of the Clayton Act.
3. Aggregate
42. Aggregate is a bulky, heavy, and relatively low-cost product.
The cost of transporting aggregate is high compared to the value of the
product.
43. Suppliers cannot economically transport aggregate to the Tucson
area from locations outside of metropolitan Tucson. First,
transportation costs limit the distance aggregate can be economically
transported from an aggregate pit to a ready mix concrete plant (for
aggregate pits that are not co-located with ready mix concrete plants)
or from an aggregate pit to the job site. Second, the location of other
aggregate suppliers limits the distance that aggregate can economically
travel. Finally, in metropolitan Tucson, the ready mix concrete plants
are typically
[[Page 32317]]
co-located with the aggregate pits to minimize transportation costs.
44. A small but. significant post-acquisition increase in the price
of aggregate in metropolitan Tucson would not cause customers of
aggregate to procure aggregate in sufficient quantities from outside
this area so as to make such a price increase unprofitable.
45. Accordingly, metropolitan Tucson is a relevant geographic
market within the meaning of Section 7 of the Clayton Act.
C. Anticompetitive Effects
1. The Proposed Transaction Will Harm Competition in the Markets for
Ready Mix Concrete, Concrete Block, and Aggregate in the Specified
Geographic Markets.
a. Ready Mix Concrete
46. Vigorous price competition between Cemex and Rinker in the
production and sale of ready mix concrete has benefitted customers.
47. The competitors that could constrain Cemex and Rinker from
raising prices for ready mix concrete to be used on large projects,
such as highways, bridges, and high-rise buildings, are limited to
those that meet the requirements imposed by purchasers for large ready
mix concrete projects.
48. The proposed acquisition will eliminate the competition between
Cemex and Rinker and reduce the number of suppliers of ready mix
concrete that might bid on certain types of large projects, such as
highways, bridges, and high-rise buildings, from three to two in
metropolitan Tampa/St. Petersburg and metropolitan Fort Walton Beach/
Panama City/Pensacola, Florida, and in metropolitan Tucson, Arizona.
The proposed acquisition will eliminate the competition between Cemex
and Rinker and reduce the number of suppliers of ready mix concrete
that might bid on certain types of large projects, such as highways,
bridges and high-rise buildings, from four to three generally, and in
some areas or for some projects from three to two, in metropolitan
Orlando, metropolitan Fort Myers/Naples, and metropolitan Jacksonville,
Florida. Further, the proposed acquisition will substantially increase
the likelihood that Cemex will unilaterally increase the price of ready
mix concrete to a significant number of customers in these areas.
49. In metropolitan Flagstaff, Arizona, the proposed acquisition
will eliminate the competition between Cemex and Rinker and reduce the
number of suppliers of ready mix concrete that might bid on certain
types of large projects, such as highways, bridges, and high-rise
buildings, from two to one.
50. The response of other ready mix concrete producers in the
relevant areas would not be sufficient to constrain a unilateral
exercise of market power by Cemex after the acquisition.
51. In addition, a combined Cemex and Rinker would have the ability
to increase prices for ready mix concrete to certain customers. Ready
mix concrete producers know the locations of their competitors' batch
plants and the distance from their own plants and their competitors'
plants to a customer's job site. Generally, because of transportation
costs, the farther a supplier's closest competitor is from a job site,
the less price competition that supplier faces for that project. Post-
acquisition, in instances where Cemex and Rinker plants were the 11
closest plants to a customer's project, the combined firm, using the
knowledge of its competitors' plant locations, would be able to charge
such customers higher prices in instances in which the next closest
ready mix concrete supplier's plant is farther from the customer's
project than were the Cemex and Rinker plants.
52. Without the competitive constraint of competition between Cemex
and Rinker, post-acquisition Cemex will have a greater ability to
exercise market power by raising prices to customers for whom Rinker
and Cemex were their closest and second-closest sources of ready mix
concrete.
53. Further, Cemex's elimination of Rinker as an independent
competitor in the production and distribution of ready mix concrete is
likely to facilitate anticompetitive coordination among the remaining
producers that can bid on large projects in each relevant geographic
market. Mixes of the same strength of concrete are relatively standard
and homogeneous, and producers have access to information about
competitors' output, capacity, and costs. Moreover, participants in
ready mix concrete markets have successfully engaged in anticompetitive
coordination in the past. Given these market conditions, eliminating
one of the few ready mix concrete suppliers that can bid on large
projects is likely to further increase the ability of the remaining
competitors to successfully coordinate.
54. The transaction will therefore substantially lessen competition
in the market for ready mix concrete in the affected areas, which is
likely to lead to higher prices for the ultimate consumers of such
products, in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act.
b. Concrete Block
55. Vigorous price competition between Cemex and Rinker in the
production and sale of concrete block has benefitted customers.
56. In metropolitan Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida, the proposed
acquisition will eliminate the competition between Cemex and Rinker.
The acquisition will give Cemex control of approximately 60 percent of
the concrete block capacity in metropolitan Tampa/St. Petersburg. The
proposed acquisition will substantially increase the likelihood that
Cemex will unilaterally increase the price of concrete block to a
significant number of customers in metropolitan Tampa/St. Petersburg.
57. In metropolitan Fort Myers/Naples, Florida, the proposed
acquisition will eliminate the competition between Cemex and Rinker.
The acquisition will give Cemex control of approximately 69 percent of
the concrete block capacity in metropolitan Fort Myers/Naples. The
proposed acquisition will substantially increase the likelihood that
Cemex will unilaterally increase the price of concrete block to a
significant number of customers in metropolitan Fort Myers/Naples.
58. In addition, in each of these markets, a combined Cemex and
Rinker would have the ability to increase prices for concrete block to
certain customers. As with ready mix concrete, concrete block
manufacturers know the locations of their competitors' plants and the
distance from their own plants and their competitors' plants to a
customer's job site. Generally, because of transportation costs, the
farther a supplier's closest competitor is from the job site, the less
price competition that supplier faces for that project. Post-
acquisition, in instances where Cemex and Rinker plants were the
closest plants to a customer's project, the combined firm, using the
knowledge of its competitors' plant locations, would be able to charge
such customers higher prices in instances in which the next closest
concrete block supplier's plant is farther from the customer's project
than were the Cemex and Rinker plants.
59. Without the constraint of competition between Cemex and Rinker,
post-acquisition Cemex will have a greater ability to exercise market
power by raising prices to customers for whom Rinker and Cemex were
their closest and second-closest sources of concrete block supply.
60. Further, Cemex's elimination of Rinker as an independent
competitor in the production and distribution of
[[Page 32318]]
concrete block is likely to facilitate anti-competitive coordination
among the remaining concrete block producers in each relevant
geographic market. Concrete block is a homogeneous commodity and
producers have access to information about competitors' output,
capacity, and costs. Given these market conditions, eliminating one of
the few concrete block competitors is likely to further increase the
ability of the remaining competitors to successfully coordinate.
61. The response of other concrete block producers in the relevant
areas would not be sufficient to constrain a unilateral exercise of
market power by Cemex after the acquisition.
62. The transaction will therefore substantially lessen competition
in the market for concrete block, which is likely to lead to higher
prices for the ultimate consumers of such products, in violation of
Section 7 of the Clayton Act.
c. Aggregate
63. Vigorous price competition between Cemex and Rinker in the
production and sale of aggregate in metropolitan Tucson, Arizona has
benefitted customers.
64. In metropolitan Tucson, the proposed acquisition will eliminate
the competition between Cemex and Rinker. The proposed acquisition will
also reduce the number of significant suppliers of aggregate from five
to four in the Tucson market generally and, depending on the location
of the aggregate pit and the transportation costs, the number of
suppliers could be reduced to as few as three or two. Further, the
proposed acquisition will substantially increase the likelihood that
Cemex will unilaterally increase the price of aggregate to a
significant number of customers.
65. Further, Cemex's elimination of Rinker as an independent
competitor in the production and distribution of aggregate is likely to
facilitate anti-competitive coordination among the remaining aggregate
producers in Tucson. Aggregate is a homogeneous commodity and producers
have access to information about competitors' output, capacity, and
costs. Given these market conditions, eliminating one of the few
aggregate competitors is likely to further increase the ability of the
remaining competitors to successfully coordinate.
66. The transaction will therefore substantially lessen competition
in the market for aggregate, which is likely to lead to higher prices
for the ultimate consumers of such products, in violation of Section 7
of the Clayton Act.
2. Entry Is Not Likely To Deter the Exercise of Market Power
a. Ready Mix Concrete
67. Successful entry or expansion into the production and
distribution of ready mix concrete for large projects is difficult,
time-consuming, and costly. In order to be able to bid on large
projects, such as highways, bridges, and high-rise buildings, it is not
sufficient simply to be able to produce ready mix concrete. In order to
bid on these large projects, a new entrant or an existing producer must
have multiple ready mix concrete plants in a geographic area, the
ability to produce large amounts of concrete with multiple
specifications, backup plants, a large number of concrete trucks, a
sizeable and well-trained workforce, the demonstrated ability and
reputation to be able to service such a large project and considerable
financial backing to remedy any problems relating to defective
concrete.
68. In addition, opening a ready mix concrete batch plant in a
metropolitan area is difficult because of the need to acquire the land
for the site of such a batch plant. The location of a batch plant is
very important because of the perishability of the ready mix concrete.
In Florida, batch plants typically require approximately three to five
acres of land to comply with environmental and land use regulations.
Finding the appropriate site for such a plant close enough to the large
projects is difficult, because in metropolitan areas such land is
already utilized or does not have the appropriate zoning. Obtaining the
land use permits or zoning variances is difficult, costly, and time-
consuming, as well. Furthermore, in addition to building the new batch
plant, an entrant would also have to secure sources of cement and
aggregate, which are inputs into ready mix concrete.
69. Therefore, entry or expansion by any other firm so that it is
able to bid on large ready mix concrete projects will not be timely,
likely, or sufficient to defeat an anti-competitive price Increase.
b. Concrete Block
70. In metropolitan Tampa/St. Petersburg and metropolitan Fort
Myers/Naples, successful entry or expansion into the production and
distribution of concrete block is difficult, time consuming, and
costly. Properly zoned parcels of land of the necessary size (at least
eight acres) are scarce. Locating or securing proper zoning,
development, building, air quality, and environmental permits and
building a concrete block plant can take more than two years. Building
a new concrete block plant costs approximately $8 to $12 million.
71. Therefore, entry or expansion by any other firm into the
concrete block markets in metropolitan Tampa/St. Petersburg and
metropolitan Fort Myers/Naples will not be timely, likely, or
sufficient to defeat an anti-competitive price increase.
c. Aggregate
72. Successful entry or expansion into the production and
distribution of aggregate is difficult, time-consuming, and costly.
Successful entry or expansion into the production and distribution of
aggregate in metropolitan Tucson, Arizona is difficult because there
are very few new sites on which to locate aggregate pits. First, for
aggregate used on transportation projects, the aggregate pits must be
located in a river bed or wash. Second, aggregate is a finite resource
in metropolitan Tucson, and several aggregate pits have been depleted
in the past several years. Third, requests to open new aggregate pits
often face fierce public opposition.
73. In addition, Arizona state and federal zoning, air quality, and
other permitting process requirements must be met. Obtaining the
necessary environmental and land-use permits for aggregate pits is
difficult in Tucson.
74. Further, the Arizona Aggregate Mine Reclamation Act requires
financial assurances and other requirements for companies seeking to
open a new aggregate pit, continuing to operating an existing aggregate
pit, or expanding an existing aggregate pit.
75. Therefore, entry or expansion by any other firm into the
aggregate market in metropolitan Tucson would not be timely, likely, or
sufficient to defeat an anti-competitive price Increase.
V. Violations Alleged
76. The proposed acquisition of Rinker by Cemex would substantially
lessen competition and tend to create a monopoly in interstate trade
and commerce in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C.
18.
77. Unless restrained, the transaction will have the following
anti- competitive effects, among others:
a. Actual and potential competition between Cemex and Rinker in the
production and distribution of ready mix concrete, concrete block, and
aggregate in the relevant geographic markets will be eliminated;
b. competition generally in the production and distribution of
ready
[[Page 32319]]
mix concrete, concrete block, and aggregate in the relevant geographic
markets. will be substantially lessened; and
c. Prices for ready mix concrete, concrete block, and aggregate in
the relevant geographic markets will likely increase.
VI. Request for Relief
78. Plaintiff requests that:
a. Cemex's proposed acquisition of Rinker be adjudged and decreed
to be unlawful and in violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Act, 15
U.S.C. Sec. 18;
b. Defendants and all persons acting on their behalf permanently
enjoined and restrained from consummating the proposed acquisition or
from entering into or carrying out any contract, agreement, plan, or
understanding, the effect of which would be to combine Cemex with the
operations of Rinker;
c. Plaintiff be awarded its costs for this action; and
d. Plaintiff receive such other and further relief as the Court
deems just and proper.
Respectfully submitted,
For Plaintiff United States of America:
/s/--------------------------------------------------------------------
Thomas O. Barnett,
Assistant Attorney General, D.C. Bar #426840.
/s/--------------------------------------------------------------------
David L. Meyer,
Deputy Assistant Attorney General, D.C. Bar #414420.
/s/--------------------------------------------------------------------
Patricia A. Brink,
Deputy Director of Operations.
/s/--------------------------------------------------------------------
Maribeth Petrizzi,
Chief, Litigation II Section, D.C. Bar #435204.
/s/--------------------------------------------------------------------
Dorothy B. Fountain,
Assistant Chief, Litigation II Section, D.C. Bar #439469.
/s/--------------------------------------------------------------------
Frederick H. Parmenter,
Christine A. Hill (D. C. Bar 461 048/inactive)
Leslie Peritz,
John Lynch,
James S. Yoon (D.C. Bar 491309),
Nicole Mark,
Helena Joly,
Attorneys, U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division,
Litigation II Section, 1401 H Street, N.W., Suite 3000, Washington,
D.C. 20530, Tel: (202) 307-0924.
Dated: May 2, 2007.
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
United States of America, Plaintiff, v. Cemex, S.A.B. de C.Y.
and Rinker Group Limited, Defendants.
Case No.: 1:07-cv-00640.
Judge: Hon. Royce C. Lamberth.
Deck Type: Antitrust.
Date Stamped: May 2, 2007.
Final Judgment
Whereas, plaintiff, United States of America, filed its Amended
Complaint on May 2, 2007, and plaintiff and defendants, Cemex, S.A.R de
C.V. (``Cemex'') and Rinker Group Limited (''Rinker''), by their
respective attorneys, have consented to the entry of this Final
Judgment without trial or adjudication of any issue of fact or law, and
without this Final Judgment constituting any evidence against or
admission by any party regarding any issue of fact or law;
And whereas, Cemex agrees to be bound by the provisions of this
Final Judgment pending its approval by the Court;
And whereas, the essence of this Final Judgment is the prompt and
certain divestiture of certain rights or assets by Cemex to assure that
competition is not substantially lessened;
And whereas, plaintiff requires Cemex to make certain divestitures
for the purpose of remedying the loss of competition alleged in the
Amended Complaint;
And whereas, Cemex has represented to the United States that the
divestitures required below can and will be made and that Cemex will
later raise no claim of hardship or difficulty as grounds for asking
the Court to modify any of the divestiture provisions contained below;
Now therefore, before any testimony is taken, without trial or
adjudication of any issue of fact or law, and upon consent of the
parties, it is Ordered, adjudged and decreed:
I. Jurisdiction
This Court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of and each of
the parties to this action. The Amended Complaint states a claim upon
which relief may be granted against defendants under Section 7 of the
Clayton Act, as amended, 15 U.S.C. 18.
II. Definitions
As used in this Final Judgment:
A. ``Acquirer'' or ``Acquirers'' means the entity or entities to
whom Cemex divests some or all of the Divestiture Assets.
B. ``Aggregate'' means crushed stone and gravel produced at
quarries, mines, or gravel pits used for, among other things, the
production of ready mix concrete and concrete block. c.
C. ``Cemex'' means defendant Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V., a Mexican
corporation with its headquarters in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, its successors
and assigns, and its subsidiaries, divisions, groups, affiliates,
partnerships and joint ventures, and their directors, officers,
managers, agents, and employees.
D. ``Concrete block'' means a building material used in the
construction of residential and commercial structures that is produced
at a plant by mixing cementitious material, aggregate, chemical
additives, and water, and placing that mixture in molds of various
sizes.
E. Divestiture Assets'' means:
1. the following Ready Mix Concrete plants:
a. Fort Walton Beach/Panama City/Pensacola, Florida Area
i. Rinker's Crestview plant, located at 5420 Fairchild Road,
Crestview, FL 32539;
ii. Rinker's Fort Walton plant, located at 1787 FIM Boulevard, Fort
Walton Beach, FL 32547;
iii. Rinker's Milton plant, located at 6250 Da Lisa Road, Milton,
FL 32583;
iv. Rinker's Panama City plant, located at 1901-B East 15th Street,
Panama City, FL 32405;
v. Rinker's Panama City Beach plant, located at 17750 Hutchinson
Road, Panama City Beach, FL 32407;
vi. Rinker's Pensacola plant, located at 415 Hyatt Street,
Pensacola, FL 32503;
vii. Rinker's Port St. Joe plant, located at 1145 Industrial Road,
Port St. Joe, FL 32456;
viii. Rinker's Point Washington plant, located at the intersection
of East Highway 98 and Old Ferry Road, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459;
b. Jacksonville, Florida Area
i. Cemex's Main Street plant, located at 9214 North Main Street,
Jacksonville, FL 32218;
ii. Cemex's Southside Florida Mining Boulevard plant, located at
9715 East Florida Mining Boulevard, Jacksonville, FL 32223;
c. Orlando, Florida Area
i. Cemex's East Orlando plant, located at 7400 Narcoossee Road,
Orlando, FL 32822;
ii. Cemex's Goldenrod plant, located at 4000 Forsyth Road, Winter
Park, FL 32792;
iii. Cemex's Winter Garden plant, located at 201 Hennis Road,
Winter Garden, FL 34787;
iv. Rinker's Kennedy plant, located at 1406 Atlanta Avenue,
Orlando, FL 32806;
d. Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida Area
i. Rinker's Clearwater plant, located at 3757 118th Avenue North,
Clearwater, FL 33762;
[[Page 32320]]
ii. Rinker's Odessa plant, located at 12025 State Road 54, Odessa,
FL 33556;
iii. Rinker's Odessa Keys plant, located at 11913 State Road 54,
Odessa, FL 33556;
iv. Rinker's Riverview plant, located at 6723 South 78th Street,
Riverview, FL 33569;
v. Rinker's Tampa plant, located at 6106 East Hanna Avenue, Tampa,
FL 33610;
vi. Rinker's Tampa Keys plant, located at 1811 North 57th Street,
Tampa, FL 33619;
e. Fort Myers/Naples, Florida Area
i. Rinker's Ave Maria plant, located at 4811 Ave Maria Boulevard,
Immokalee, FL 34142;
ii. Rinker's Bonita Springs plant, located at 25061 Old U.S.
Highway 41 South, Bonita Springs, FL 34135;
iii. Rinker's Canal Street plant, located at 4262 Canal Street,
Fort Myers, FL 33916;
iv. Rinker's Cape Coral (Pine Island) plant, located at 2401 SW
Pine Island Road, Cape Coral, FL 33991;
v. Rinker's Naples plant, located at 9210 Collier Boulevard,
Naples, FL 34114;
vi. Rinker's South Fort Myers plant, located at 7270 Alico Road,
Fort Myers, FL 33912;
f. Flagstaff, Arizona Area
Cemex's Brannen plant, located at 633 East Brannen Avenue,
Flagstaff, AZ 86001;
g. Tucson, Arizona Area
i. Cemex's Ina plant, located at 5400 West Massingale Road, Tucson,
AZ 85743;
ii. Rinker's Green Valley plant, located at 18701 South Old Nogales
Highway, Sahuarita, AZ 85629;
iii. Rinker's Poorman Road plant, located at 6500 South Old Spanish
Trail, Tucson, AZ 85747;
iv. Rinker's Valencia plant, located at 1011 West Valencia Road,
Tucson, AZ 85706;
The following concrete block plants:
a. Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida
i. Rinker's Odessa plant, located at 12025 State Road 54, Odessa,
FL 33556;
ii. Rinker's Palmetto plant, located at 600 9th Street West,
Palmetto, FL 34221;
iii. Rinker's Tampa plant, located at 6302 North 56th Street,
Tampa, FL 33610;
b. Fort Myers/Naples, Florida Area
i. Rinker's Bonita Springs plant, located at 25091 Old U.S. Highway
41 South, Bonita Springs, FL 34135;
ii. Rinker's Coral Rock plant, located at 41451 Cook Brown Road,
Punta Gorda, FL 33982;
iii. Rinker's South Fort Myers plant, located at 7270 Alico Road,
Fort Myers, FL 33912;
3. The following Tucson, Arizona area aggregate plants:
a. Cemex's Ina plant, located at 5400 West Massingale Road, Tucson,
AZ 85743;
b. Rinker's Green Valley plant, located at 18701 South Old Nogales
Highway, Sahuarita, AZ 85629;
4. All tangible assets used in the plants listed in paragraphs
II(E)(1 )-(3), including all research and development activities,
manufacturing equipment, tooling and fixed assets, real property
(leased or owned), mining equipment, personal property, inventory,
aggregate reserves, office furniture, materials, supplies, on- or off-
site warehouses or storage facilities relating to the plants; all
licenses, permits and authorizations issued by any governmental
organization relating to the plants; all contracts, agreements, leases
(including renewal rights), commitments, and understandings relating to
the plants, including supply agreements; all customer lists, contracts,
accounts, and credit records relating to the plants; all other records
relating to the plants; and at the option of the Acquirer or Acquirers,
a number of trucks and other vehicles usable at the plants listed in
paragraphs II(E)(1)-(3) equal to, for each separate type of truck or
other vehicle, the average number of trucks and other vehicles of that
type used at each such plant per month during the months of operation
of the plant between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2006 (calculated
by averaging the number of trucks and other vehicles of each type that
were used at each plant at any time during each month that the plant
was in operation), but such trucks and vehicles need not include any
equipment related to Cemex's ``ReadySlump'' process, so long as the
trucks and other vehicles are fully operable without such equipment;
and
5. All intangible assets used in the development, production,
servicing, and distribution of products by the facilities listed in
paragraphs II(E)(1)-(3), including but not limited to all contractual
rights, patents, licenses and sublicenses, intellectual property,
technical information, computer software (including dispatch software
and management information systems) and related documentation, know-
how, trade secrets, drawings, blueprints, designs, design protocols,
specifications for materials, specifications for parts and devices,
safety procedures for the handling of materials and substances, quality
assurance and control procedures, design tools and simulation
capability, all manuals and technical information provided to the
employees, customers, suppliers, agents or licensees, and all research
data (including aggregate reserve testing information) concerning
historic and current research and development efforts relating to the
plants listed in paragraphs II(E)(1)-(3), including, but not limited to
designs of experiments, and the results of successful and unsuccessful
designs and experiments.
F. ``Ready mix concrete'' means a building material used in the
construction of buildings, highways, bridges, tunnels, and other
projects that is produced by mixing a cementitious material and
aggregate with sufficient water to cause the cement to set and bind.
G. ``Rinker'' means defendant Rinker Group Limited, an Australian
corporation with its headquarters in Chatswood, Australia, its
successors and assigns, and its subsidiaries, divisions, groups,
affiliates, partnerships and joint ventures, and their directors,
officers, managers, agents, and employees.
H. ``Divestiture Trigger'' means the day on which Cemex elects a
majority of the Board of Directors of Rinker or forty-five (45) days
after Cemex obtains a number of shares of Rinker stock in excess of 50
percent of the outstanding shares of Rinker, whichever is sooner.
III. Applicability
A. This Final Judgment applies to Cemex, as defined above, and all
other persons in active concert or participation with Cemex who receive
actual notice of this Final Judgment by personal service or otherwise.
B. Cemex shall require, as a condition of the sale or other
disposition of all or substantially all of its assets or of lesser
business units that include the Divestiture Assets, that the purchaser
agrees to be bound by the provisions of this Final Judgment.
IV. Divestitures
A. Cemex is ordered and directed, within one hundred twenty (120)
calendar days after the Divestiture Trigger, or five (5) days after
notice of the entry of this Final Judgment by the Court, whichever is
later, to divest the Divestiture Assets in a manner consistent with
this Final Judgment to an Acquirer or Acquirers acceptable to the
United States in its sole discretion. The United States, in its sole
discretion, may agree to one or more extensions of this time period,
not to exceed in total sixty (60) calendar days, and shall notify
[[Page 32321]]
the Court in each such circumstance. Cemex agrees to use its best
efforts to divest the Divestiture Assets as expeditiously as possible.
B. In accomplishing the divestitures ordered by the Final Judgment,
Cemex promptly shall make known, by usual and customary means, the
availability of the Divestiture Assets. Cemex shall inform any person
making inquiry regarding a possible purchase of the Divestiture Assets
that they are being divested pursuant to this Final Judgment and
provide that person with a copy of this Final Judgment. Unless the
United States otherwise consents in writing, Cemex shall offer to
furnish to all prospective Acquirers, subject to customary
confidentiality assurances, all information and documents relating to
the Divestiture Assets that customarily are provided in a due diligence
process except such information or documents subject to the attorney-
client or work-product privilege. Cemex shall make available such
information to the United States at the same time that such information
is made available to any other person.
C. Unless the United States otherwise consents in writing, Cemex
shall provide the Acquirer or Acquirers and the United States
information relating to personnel involved in production, operations,
and sales at the Divestiture Assets to enable the Acquirer or Acquirers
to make offers of employment. Cemex will not interfere with any
negotiations by the Acquirer or Acquirers to employ any employee of the
Divestiture Assets whose primary responsibility is production,
operations, or sales at the Divestiture Assets.
D. Unless the United States otherwise consents in writing, Cemex
shall permit prospective Acquirers of the Divestiture Assets to have
reasonable access to personnel and to make inspections of the physical
facilities of the Divestiture Assets; access to any and all
environmental, zoning, and other permit documents and information; and
access to any and all financial, operational, and other documents and
information customarily provided as part of a due diligence process.
E. Cemex shall warrant to the Acquirer or Acquirers that those
Divestiture Assets owned by Cemex prior to an acquisition of Rinker
will be operational on the date of the divestiture. In addition, with
respect to those Divestiture Assets owned by Rinker prior to an
acquisition by Cemex, Cemex shall warrant to the Acquirer or Acquirers
that those Divestiture Assets will be operational on the date of the
divestiture, if they were operational on the date Cemex acquires a
number of shares of Rinker stock in excess of 50 percent of the
outstanding shares of Rinker.
F. Cemex shall not take any action that will impede in any way the
permitting, operation, or divestiture of the Divestiture Assets.
G. Cemex shall warrant to the Acquirer or Acquirers that there are
no material defects in the environmental, zoning, or other permits
pertaining to the operation of those Divestiture Assets owned by Cemex
prior to an acquisition of Rinker. In addition, with respect to those
Divestiture Assets owned by Rinker prior to an acquisition by Cemex,
Cemex shall warrant to the Acquirer or Acquirers that there are no
material defects in the environmental, zoning, or other permits
pertaining to the operation of those Divestiture Assets, if there are
no material defects in the environmental, zoning, or other permits
pertaining to the operation of those Divestiture Assets on the date
Cemex acquires a number of shares of Rinker stock in excess of 50
percent of the outstanding shares of Rinker. Cemex shall not undertake,
directly or indirectly, any challenges to the environmental, zoning, or
other permits relating to the operation of the Divestiture Assets.
H. If for any reason Cemex is unable within the time period
required by paragraph IV(A) to divest any of the Divestiture Assets or
make any of the Divestiture Assets available for sale by the trustee
appointed pursuant to Section V, or if for any reason Cemex does not
make the warranties in paragraphs IV(E) and (G) with respect to the
assets owned by Rinker prior to an acquisition by Cemex, for each such
asset, the United States, in its sole discretion, may select one or
more alternative assets owned by Cemex that are located or used in the
same geographic area (as identified in boldface type in section II(E))
to be divested in lieu of the Divestiture Asset that could not be
divested. Unless the United States consents otherwise in writing,
divestiture of an alternative Cemex asset shall include all tangible
and intangible assets associated with that asset, as defined in
paragraph II(E).
I. Unless the United States otherwise consents in writing, any
divestiture pursuant to Section IV, or by trustee appointed pursuant to
Section V, of this Final Judgment, shall include the entire Divestiture
Assets, and shall be accomplished in such a way as to satisfy the
United States, in its sole discretion, that the Divestiture Assets can
and will be used by the Acquirer or Acquirers as viable, ongoing
businesses engaged in producing and distributing ready mix concrete,
concrete block, and/or aggregate, that the Divestiture Assets will
remain viable, and that the divestiture of such assets will remedy the
competitive harm alleged in the Amended Complaint. The sale of the
Divestiture Assets may be made to one or more Acquirers, so long as:
(1) All of the ready mix concrete plants in a geographic area (as
identified in boldface type in section II(E)) are divested to a single
Acquirer; (2) all of the concrete block plants in a geographic area are
divested to a single Acquirer; (3) both aggregate plants listed in
paragraph II(E)(3) are divested to the same Acquirer that acquires the
ready mix concrete plants listed in paragraphs II(E)(l)(g)(i)-(iii);
and (4) in each instance it is demonstrated in a manner acceptable to
the United States in its sole discretion that the Divestiture Assets
will remain viable and the divestiture of such Divestiture assets will
remedy the competitive harm alleged in the Amended Complaint. The
divestitures, whether pursuant to Section IV or Section V of this Final
Judgment,
1. Shall be made to an Acquirer or Acquirers that, in the United
States's sole judgment, has the intent and capability (including the
necessary managerial, operational, technical and financial capability)
to compete effectively in the production and distribution of ready mix
concrete, concrete block, and/or aggregate; and
2. Shall be accomplished so as to satisfy the United States, in its
sole discretion, that none of the terms of any agreement between an
Acquirer or Acquirers and Cemex gives Cemex the ability to unreasonably
raise the Acquirer's costs, to lower the Acquirer's efficiency, or
otherwise to interfere in the ability of the Acquirer to compete
effectively in the production and distribution of ready mix concrete,
concrete block, and/or aggregate.
J. If Cemex does not acquire a number of shares of Rinker stock in
excess of 50 percent of the outstanding shares of Rinker, Cemex shall
divest all its interest in Rinker within six months from the date this
Final Judgment is signed by the Court. Pending such divestiture, Cemex
shall not, directly or indirectly: (1) Exercise dominion or control
over, or otherwise seek to influence, the management, direction, or
supervision of the business of Rinker; (2) seek or obtain
representation on the Board of Directors of Rinker; (3) exercise any
voting rights attached to the shares; (4) seek or obtain access to any
confidential or proprietary information of Rinker; or (5) take any
action or omit to take any action that would have an
[[Page 32322]]
effect different than if Cemex's interest in Rinker were that of a
purely passive investor.
V. Appointment of Trustee to Effect Divestitures
A. If Cemex has not divested the Divestiture Assets within the time
period specified in paragraph IV(A), Cemex shall notify the United
States of that fact in writing. Upon application of the United States,
the Court shall appoint a trustee selected by the United States and
approved by the Court to effect the divestiture of the Divestiture
Assets.
B. After the appointment of a trustee becomes effective, only the
trustee shall have the right to sell the Divestiture Assets. The
trustee shall have the power and authority to accomplish the
divestiture to an Acquirer acceptable to the United States at such
price and on such terms as are then obtainable upon reasonable effort
by the trustee, subject to the provisions of Sections IV, V, and VI of
this Final Judgment, and shall have such other powers as this Court
deems appropriate. Subject to paragraph V(D) of this Final Judgment,
the trustee may hire at the cost and expense of Cemex any investment
bankers, attorneys, or other agents, who shall be solely accountable to
the trustee, reasonably necessary in the trustee's judgment to assist
in the divestiture.
C. Cemex shall not object to a sale by the trustee on any ground
other than the trustee's malfeasance. Any such objection by Cemex must
be conveyed in writing to the United States and the trustee within ten
(10) calendar days after the trustee has provided the notice required
under Section VI.
D. The trustee shall serve at the cost and expense of Cemex, on
such terms and conditions as plaintiff approves, and shall account for
all monies derived from the sale of the assets sold by the trustee and
all costs and expenses so incurred. After approval by the Court of the
trustee's accounting, including fees for its services and those of any
professionals and agents retained by the trustee, all remaining money
shall be paid to Cemex and the trust shall then be terminated. The
compensation of the trustee and any professionals and agents retained
by the trustee shall be reasonable in light of the value of the
Divestiture Assets and based on a fee arrangement providing the trustee
with an incentive based on the price and terms of the divestiture and
the speed with which it is accomplished, but timeliness is paramount.
E. Cemex shall use its best efforts to assist the trustee in
accomplishing the required divestiture. The trustee and any
consultants, accountants, attorneys, and other persons retained by the
trustee shall have full and complete access to the personnel, books,
records, and facilities of the business to be divested, and Cemex shall
develop financial and other information relevant to such business as
the trustee may reasonably request, subject to reasonable protection
for trade secrets or other confidential research, development, or
commercial information. Cemex shall take no action to interfere with or
to impede the trustee's accomplishment of the divestiture.
F. After its appointment, the trustee shall file monthly reports
with the United States and the Court setting forth the trustee's
efforts to accomplish the divestiture ordered under this Final
Judgment. To the extent such reports contain information that the
trustee deems confidential, such reports shall not be filed in the
public docket of the Court. Such reports shall include the name,
address, and telephone number of each person who, during the preceding
month, made an offer to acquire, expressed an interest in acquiring,
entered into negotiations to acquire, or was contacted or made an
inquiry about acquiring the Divestiture Assets, and shall describe in
detail each contact with any such person. The trustee shall maintain
full records of all efforts made to divest the Divestiture Assets.
G. If the trustee has not accomplished such divestiture within six
months after its appointment, the trustee shall promptly file with the
Court a report setting forth: (1) The trustee's efforts to accomplish
the required divestiture; (2) the reasons, in the trustee's judgment,
why the required divestiture has not been accomplished; and (3) the
trustee's recommendations. To the extent such report contains
information that the trustee deems confidential, such report shall not
be filed in the public docket of the Court. The trustee shall at the
same time furnish such report to the plaintiff, who shall have the
right to make additional recommendations consistent with the purpose of
the trust. The Court thereafter shall enter such orders as it shall
deem appropriate to carry out the purpose of the Final Judgment, which
may, if necessary, include extending the trust and the term of the
trustee's appointment by a period requested by the United States.
VI. Notice of Proposed Divestiture
A. Within two (2) business days following execution of a definitive
divestiture agreement, Cemex or the trustee, whichever is then
responsible for effecting the divestiture required herein, shall notify
the United States of any proposed divestiture required by Section IV or
V ofthis Final Judgment. If the trustee is responsible, it shall
similarly notify Cemex. The notice shall set forth the details of the
proposed divestiture and list the name, address, and telephone number
of each person not previously identified who offered or expressed an
interest in or desire to acquire any ownership interest in the
Divestiture Assets, together with full details of the same.
B. Within fifteen (15) calendar days of receipt by the United
States of such notice, the United States may request from Cemex, the
proposed Acquirer or Acquirers, any other third party, or the trustee,
if applicable, additional information concerning the proposed
divestiture, the proposed Acquirer or Acquirers, and any other
potential Acquirer. Cemex and the trustee shall furnish any additional
information requested within fifteen (15) calendar days of the receipt
of the request, unless the parties shall otherwise agree.
c. Within thirty (30) calendar days after receipt of the notice, or
within twenty (20) calendar days after the United States has been
provided the additional information requested from Cemex, the proposed
Acquirer or Acquirers, any third party, or the trustee, whichever is
later, the United States shall provide written notice to Cemex and the
trustee, if there is one, stating whether or not it objects to the
proposed divestiture. If the United States provides written notice that
it does not object, the divestiture may be consummated, subject only to
Cemex's limited right to object to the sale under paragraph V(C) of
this Final Judgment. Absent written notice that the United States does
not object to the proposed Acquirer or upon objection by the United
States, a divestiture proposed under Section IV or Section V shall not
be consummated. Upon objection by Cemex under paragraph V(C), a
divestiture proposed under Section V shall not be consummated unless
approved by the Court.
VII. Financing
Cemex shall not finance all or any part of any purchase by an
Acquirer of any Divestiture Asset pursuant to Section IV or V of this
Final Judgment.
VIII. Hold Separate
Until the divestiture required by this Final Judgment has been
accomplished, Cemex shall take all steps necessary to comply with the
Amended Hold Separate Stip