Statement on FTC Win Blocking Loctite, Liquid Nails Construction Adhesive Merger
The Federal Trade Commission secured an important victory in the fight to lower the cost of housing construction materials for Americans by preventing German multinational Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Henkel), the manufacturer of the industry-leading Loctite brand construction adhesives, from acquiring Loctite’s main competitor, Liquid Nails.
On August 14, 2026, after a seven-day trial, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York granted the FTC’s request for a permanent injunction to block Henkel’s proposed $725 million acquisition of Liquid Nails from private equity firm American Industrial Partners. This latest court win also marks the Commission’s new approach to seeking permanent injunctions to block anticompetitive mergers without the need to continue cases in administrative proceedings.
The FTC challenged the deal in December 2025, alleging that Henkel’s proposed acquisition of Liquid Nails would eliminate fierce competition between Loctite and Liquid Nails, leading to higher prices, lower quality and reduced innovation, all of which would be detrimental to American consumers.
In response to the district court’s order, FTC Bureau of Competition Director Daniel Guarnera issued the following statement:
“Anyone who looked at the construction adhesives shelves of a hardware store or home improvement retailer could see that a merger between Loctite and Liquid Nails would be a bad deal for Americans. This proposed acquisition threatened to drive up the cost of a critical product for building and maintaining homes across the United States. The district court’s decision will ensure that Americans benefit from continued competition between Loctite and Liquid Nails, including lower prices and higher quality.
I want to extend my congratulations to the FTC’s trial team, led by the Mergers II division with assistance from the Litigation Group, for its work on this important matter. The Trump-Vance FTC will be vigilant in its fight to lower housing costs for Americans by enforcing our nation’s antitrust laws.”
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