Competition watchdog urges feedback on Western Digital’s $19b SanDisk acquisition

Will the merger result in a monopoly?

The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) announced that it is seeking feedback on US giant Western Digital’s $19b acquisition of SanDisk.

According to a press release by CCS, SanDisk and Western Digital reportedly believe that the merger will not substantially lessen the competition for enterprise class solid-state drives (SSDs) in Singapore or worldwide. The two companies asserted that they only overlap globally in the supply of enterprise SSDs.

CCS received a notification for decision on 4 December this year regarding the merger.

“The notification is made under section 57 of the Competition Act, in relation to section 54 of the Competition Act which prohibits mergers that have resulted, or may be expected to result, in a substantial lessening of competition within any market in Singapore,” said CCS.

Submissions by the public should reach CCS no later than 23 December 2015.