FMC Technologies Inc. and France’s Technip said June 27 that the pending merger transaction between the companies received an early decision from U.S. antitrust regulators under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (HSR Act), concluding antitrust review of the transaction in the U.S. under the act. The conclusion of antitrust review in the U.S. under the HSR Act satisfies one of the closing conditions of the pending transaction, which remains subject to other closing conditions, including approval of both companies’ shareholders and the conclusion of antitrust review in other countries. The transaction is expected to close early in 2017. On June 16, the companies said they had executed a business combination agreement regarding their proposed merger. The companies announced on May 19 that they would combine. Technip is a subsea systems provider and FMC is a management and engineering firm for the oil and gas industry.