South Africa’s Competition Tribunal has blocked the creation of the country’s largest petrol company. The deal was strongly opposed by several third parties, including Shell and BP. The tribunal accepted the complainants’ arguments that the merged entity would be able to foreclose the downstream petrol market inland, due to the logistical difficulties faced by Shell and BP in transporting fuel from the coast to Johannesburg.Separate RBB teams were instructed by Cliffe Dekker for Shell (with Simon Baker leading for RBB) and by Webber Wentzel Bowens for BP (with Simon Bishop leading for RBB).
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