On 25 January 2010, European Commission said that it is ready to review a plan by the world’s second and third largest iron ore miners, Rio Tinto and BHP Biliton, to combine some iron ore mining operations in Australia. The European antitrust watchdog said that it would investigate whether the companies’ plan to pool iron ore mining in western Australia would affect the global prices or supply for iron ore transported by sea, known as seaborne iron ore. The Commission set no deadline for completion of the investigation, citing the complexity of the case, cooperation from the companies involved and exercise of the rights of defense, among other factors, to justify the open-ended time limit. Continue Reading Will Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton Make It This Time? A Few Comments From The Perspective Of Antitrust Law