DuPont CEO gives investors confidence Dow deal is on track

Houston

DUPONT Co said it can address antitrust regulators' concerns that its merger with Dow Chemical Co could limit discovery of new agricultural pesticides, boosting investor confidence that the US$72 billion deal will be approved.

Regulators are mostly concerned that the combination could hurt innovation in crop-protection chemicals, chief executive officer Ed Breen said on Tuesday on a conference call to discuss fourth-quarter results.

The remedy will involve products as well as related research and development resources. He didn't provide specifics, but the process could involve selling assets.

The merger of the two biggest US chemical makers will close in June, three months later than previously anticipated, Wilmington, Delaware-based DuPont said. The tie-up - along with Bayer AG's agreement to buy Monsanto Co and China N…