(Bloomberg) — Bunge Global SA, one of the world’s largest crop traders, received approval from Canada for its $8 billion acquisition of Viterra Inc.
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The decision Tuesday comes after delays to regulatory approvals around the world pushed back the completion of the deal, previously set for the middle of 2024. The nod by Canada comes with conditions including some asset sales.
Bunge is ‘B’ in the ABCD storied quartet of agricultural commodity traders that have dominated crop markets for more than a century. The deal to acquire Viterra, announced in June 2023, would create a $25 billion behemoth capable of competing with the industry’s elite: Cargill Inc. and Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., the ‘A’ and the ‘C.’ Louis Dreyfus Co. represents the ‘D.’
“This is an important milestone in the process to complete the Bunge-Viterra transaction,” Bunge said in a statement. “With the Canadian approval, we are nearing completion of the regulatory process and expect to close in early 2025.”
Bunge is still awaiting approval from China.
Canada’s antitrust watchdog previously raised concerns about the acquisition, saying it will have “substantial anti-competitive effects” on agricultural markets.
In an opinion piece on a Canadian trade publication last year, Bunge Chief Executive Officer Greg Heckman sought to allay concerns, saying the deal would be good for Canada and would not result in the closure of any facilities in the country. He also stressed that he disagreed with findings of a report that flagged concerns about Bunge’s stake in G3, a joint venture between the US crop giant and the Saudi Agricultural & Livestock Investment Co.
As part of the approval, Bunge will need to sell six grain elevators in Western Canada. There will also be controls imposed on Bunge’s minority ownership stake in G3 and a commitment from the company to invest at least C$520 million ($362 million) in Canada within the next five years.
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