Mix will firm up concrete industry

The upcoming merger between two State-owned building materials manufacturers - China National Building Materials Group Corp and China National Materials Group Corp - will give the new entity a clear edge, especially in the cement business, over other global peers, experts said on Wednesday.

Their comments came after nine listed subsidiaries of the two building materials giants suspended trading on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges last week, raising speculation about further substantial actions to be taken in their merger, which was announced last year.

According to a statement jointly released by the two companies last week, CNBM will acquire all shares of SINOMA.