EU regulators to rule on $130 billion Dow, DuPont deal by July 28

[June 23, 2016]  LONDON - EU antitrust authorities will decide by July 28 whether to allow the $130 billion merger of U.S. chemical company Dow Chemical Co and its rival DuPont, one of several large agribusiness deals.

A sign is seen at an entrance to a Dow Chemical Co plant in Plaquemine, Louisiana December 12, 2015.REUTERS/Jonathan Bachman

The companies requested approval on Wednesday, according to a filing on the European Commission website.

The EU competition enforcer can approve the deal with or without concessions or it can open a full-scale investigation of about five months should it have serious concerns about the merger's impact on consumers and rivals.

DuPont and Dow hope to close the deal around October-November. The U.S. Department of Justice is also examining the proposed merger.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Adrian Croft)

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