Statement of Chairman Robert Pitofsky and FMC Corporation, Solutia Inc., and Astaris LLC Docket No. C-3935 We believe that the divestitures and other relief mandated by the proposed Commission order should restore the competition lost through the joint venture between FMC Corporation and Solutia Inc. Nevertheless, we recognize that both divestitures are somewhat out of the ordinary. When remedying a Clayton Section 7 violation, the Commission usually orders a complete divestiture of one merging party's assets that produce the relevant product. In the pure phosphoric acid ("PPA") market, though, the Commission requires the divestiture to Prayon of a plant that manufactures phosphate salts but not PPA. And in the phosphorus pentasulfide market, the Commission orders the divestiture to Peak of what is essentially a "plant within a plant." Due to the novelty of the relief, the Commission will monitor closely the respondents' compliance with their obligations under the order and will ascertain whether the relief ordered in this case effectively restores competition in each of the markets. |