Linde-Praxair deal gets Brazil antitrust nod

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's antitrust regulator on Wednesday approved the $80 billion merger of gas group Linde AG and Praxair Inc, as long as the companies go ahead with an undisclosed asset sale plan.

Reuters reported last week that Linde and Praxair have slashed the bidding pool for the more than $4 billion worth of assets they are jointly selling, according to people familiar with the matter. The board of antitrust regulator Cade unanimously voted to approve the transaction.

(Reporting by Bruno Federowski; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)