Kimberly-Clark seeks clearance to acquire Kenvue

In New Zealand, Kimberly-Clark and Kenvue both supply feminine hygiene products such as tampons, sanitary pads (or towels) and panty liners. Kimberly-Clark supplies products under the U by Kotex brand and Kenvue supplies products under the Stayfree and Carefree brands.

To address the competitive overlap between the merging parties, Kimberly-Clark has proposed to divest the entirety of Kenvue’s feminine hygiene offering in New Zealand and Australia. We will assess whether the proposed divestment will be likely to remedy any competition concerns that might arise from the proposed acquisition.

The Commerce Commission has today published a statement of preliminary issues in relation to the application. The statement outlines the key competition issues that the Commission considers important at this early stage in deciding whether to grant clearance to the proposed acquisition.

The Commission invites interested parties to provide comments on the likely competitive effects of the proposed acquisition and the proposed divestment. Submissions can be sent by email to registrar@comcom.govt.nz with the reference “Kimberly-Clark/Kenvue” in the subject line. Any submissions should be received by close of business on 17 March 2026.

The Commission is currently scheduled to make a decision on the application by 28 April 2026. However, this date may be extended with the agreement of the applicant if the material before the Commission at that time does not allow it to be satisfied that the proposed acquisition will not have, or would not be likely to have, the effect of substantially lessening competition in a market in New Zealand.

The statement of preliminary issues and a public version of the application can be found on the case register on our website.