Koch Industries’ Fertilizer Plant Purchase Sparks Antitrust Plea

Iowa state lawmakers are highlighting potential harm to workers from Koch Industries Inc.‘s $3.6 billion acquisition of a fertilizer plant in the state.

All 36 Democratic state representatives this week called on the Federal Trade Commission, the Justice Department, and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird (R) to examine how the purchase could further entrench Koch’s market power, posing the risk of not only higher fertilizer prices but also job losses.

Their plea could be buoyed by the federal agencies’ new focus on labor markets when assessing deals. The federal government has scrutinized consolidation in the agricultural industry, and particularly ...