The European Commission (EC) has postponed the provision date of its decision on a proposed merger between two Australian iron ore giant Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton till January 15, 2009.
The review originally was to be completed by mid December. However, in September the EC called on a temporary halt to the review, postponing a provisional date of their decision on this case.
The world's second and third largest mining companies notified the European Commission (EC) of their intention to merge in early June.
In the event of a successful merger, the joint company will control almost 40 percent of the seaborne iron ore market. In comparison, Brazilian miner Vale, the world's largest iron ore supplier, controls more than 33 percent of the seaborne iron ore market.