EUROPEAN COMMISSION DG Competition

Only the English text is available and authentic.

REGULATION (EC) No 139/2004 MERGER PROCEDURE

Article 6(1)(b) NON-OPPOSITION Date: 18/01/2022

In electronic form on the EUR-Lex website under document number 32022M10411

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Brussels, 18.1.2022 C(2022) 403 final

PUBLIC VERSION

Associated British Foods plc No. 293262 at Weston Centre, 10 Grosvenor Street W1K 4QY London United Kingdom

Wilmar International Limited 15th Floor, 1379, Bocheng Road, China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone 200135 Shanghai China

AB Mauri Yihai Kerry Investment Company No. 293262 at Weston Centre 10 Grosvenor Street W1K 4QY London United Kingdom

1(EC) No 139/2004and Article 57 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area

Dear Sir or Madam,

1.1. On 14 December 2021, the European Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of the Merger Regulation by which Associated British Foods plc (‘ABF’, United Kingdom) and Wilmar International Limited (‘Wilmar’, Singapore) acquire, through their common joint venture AB Mauri Yihai Kerry Investment Company Limited (‘AB Mauri’, China), joint control of the whole

2of Hebei Mauri Food Co., Ltd. (‘Hebei Mauri’ or the ‘Target’ China), currently controlled by ABF, within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation.

2. The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

 for ABF: active in five main business domains worlwide, namely (i) production of baking ingredients, including yeast; (ii) production of sugar; (iii) manufacture of grocery products; (iv) supply of agricultural products to farmers; and (v) high street retailing,

 for Wilmar: active in oil palm cultivation, oilseed crushing, edible oil refining, sugar milling and refining, manufacturing of consumer products, specialty fats, oleochemicals, biodiesel and fertilisers as well as flour and rice milling worldwide,

 for Hebei Mauri: active in the manufacture and supply of bakers’ yeast to China and other countries, including in Asia; and

 for AB Mauri: active in the manufacture, sale and distribution of yeast, bakery ingredients and bakery fats in Asia, as well as the provision of relevant bakery and technical services related to these products in Asia.

3.3. After examination of the notification, the European Commission has concluded that the notified operation falls within the scope of the Merger Regulation and of paragraphs 5(a) and (b) of the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for

treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004.

4. For the reasons set out in the Notice on a simplified procedure, the European Commission has decided not to oppose the notified operation and to declare it compatible with the internal market and with the EEA Agreement. This decision is adopted in application of Article 6(1)(b) of the Merger Regulation and Article 57 of the EEA Agreement.

For the Commission

(Signed) Olivier GUERSENT Director-General

4Publication in the Official Journal of the European Union No C 514I, 21.12.2021, p. 19.

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