European Regulators Undecided on UPS-TNT Deal

European Union antitrust regulators have not decided on whether to object to UPS Inc.’s bid to buy Dutch package firm TNT Express, Reuters reported Friday.

EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia told a news briefing in Brussels that the European Commission had not yet decided on the matter, Reuters said.

UPS said earlier this month that it expects to complete the $6.5 billion purchase in the first quarter of 2013 — extended from an originally targeted fourth-quarter completion — in order to allow European regulators more time to review the deal.

Separately, UPS’ international chief Dan Brutto said the company sees some short-term economic headwinds amid a decline in Asian manufacturing orders while it pursues the TNT deal, Bloomberg reported.

But UPS sees continued growth in Europe, Brutto said at a Bloomberg newsmakers event Thursday in Washington.

UPS is ranked No. 1 on the Transport Topics 100 listing of U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.