UK competition authorities cleared a $70 million sale of the bankrupt Venator Materials UK titanium‑dioxide plant in Teesside to China's LB Group, the world’s largest TiO2 producer. The factory, idle since October and responsible for 270 jobs, will reportedly restart under the Chinese owner, sparking a significant backlash from European and US producers who view the deal as a competitive threat.

The European Titanium Dioxide ad hoc Coalition, representing about 90 % of EU output, warned that LB Group could undercut rivals by leveraging Chinese subsidies that lower its production cost to roughly $1,500 a tonne, versus an estimated $2,800 per tonne in the UK. Such pricing pressure threatens the viability of the remaining British plant in Grimsby and other western facilities.

Union leader Fazia Hussain‑Brown welcomed the clearance, hoping for a stable, union‑backed workforce, while MPs and industry groups call for anti‑dumping duties to protect the strategic supply chain for defence‑grade Titanium dioxide. Brussels has already levied duties on Chinese imports, but the UK has yet to act. The transaction illustrates the tension between preserving jobs and safeguarding competitive markets.