The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission today issued a Statement of Issues on the proposed acquisition by Pacific Terminals (Australia) Pty Ltd of bulk liquid terminals from Craig Mostyn & Co Pty Ltd. Both companies operate in the bulk liquid storage industry.
The Statement of Issues seeks further information and comment on:
- the availability of substitutes in Brisbane for bulk tallow and vegetable oil storage services
- the feasibility of transporting tallow and/or vegetable oils to and from the other ports
- barriers to entry into the market for the supply of bulk tallow and vegetable oil storage in Brisbane, and
- vertical integration issues which may arise as a result of Pacific Terminals being a subsidiary of Gardner Smith (Holdings) Pty Limited – a major tallow and vegetable oil trader.
The ACCC invites further submissions from interested parties including Pacific Terminals, Craig Mostyn, their competitors and customers, which focus on the topics outlined in the Statement of Issues by 20 February 2007.
Key market participants will be contacted directly during this time. The ACCC expects that it will make a final decision on the proposed acquisition on 7 March 2007.
The Statement of Issues will be available on the ACCC's website.