BENTON HARBOR, Mich./NEWTON, Iowa — Whirlpool Corp. and Maytag Corp. have received clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice to complete their proposed merger. Whirlpool plans to close the transaction as soon as practical, but no later than Monday.
The acquisition was approved without any required divestitures despite concerns that creating the world's largest appliance maker would stifle competition. "Competitive dynamics" will deny the combined company the power to raise prices, says Thomas O. Barnett, the government's antitrust chief.
