Japanese trading house Marubeni Corp is in advanced talks to cut Gavilon’s energy business out of its planned takeover of the U.S. commodity merchant, two sources with direct knowledge of the deal said on Friday.
The move comes as Marubeni works to finalize a $5.6 billion acquisition, including debt, of Gavilon and its core agriculture business in a deal that would propel it into the top ranks of global grain traders and allow it to tap rising Chinese demand.
“The interest was always in the grains, not the oil,” one source with direct knowledge of the Gavilon deal said.