Yara International ASA of Oslo, Norway, is in the early
stages of merger negotiations with CF Industries Holdings Inc. of Deerfield,
Ill.
Yara, which has annual sales of $13.4 billion and an
international distribution network, wants to increase its presence in North
America, mainly to gain access to cheap natural gas to manufacture nitrogen.
CF Industries, which has annual sales of $5.4 billion, wants
access to the international markets Yara serves.
If they do merge, they would be the world’s second-largest
fertilizer company, second to Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan.
Yara is a partner with BASF SE of Germany to build an
ammonia plant at Freeport, Texas.
