Australian: Merger rethink in Japan
JAPAN'S Trade Ministry is pressing for an easing of the country's merger guidelines to encourage the creation of larger companies that will be better able to compete with their global rivals. The ministry wants an increase in the domestic market share threshold - the maximum allowed after a merger - to 50 per cent from 35 per cent to enable greater consolidation among Japanese companies...The ministry's comments are likely to attract fierce opposition from foreign companies concerned that the proposal would stifle competition in Japan, and from the country's anti-monopoly watchdog, the Japan Fair Trade Commission...more...