PRESS RELEASE

IMERYS to acquire Quimbarra, the leading Latin American producer of calcium carbonates
Atlanta, GA., May 26, 2000

On May 26, 2000 Imerys signed an agreement with the US group Praxair for the acquisition of 100% of Quimbarra, the leading
Latin American producer of ground (GCC) and precipitated (PCC) calcium carbonate. Quimbarra operates 15 plants in Latin America
(7 in Brazil, 5 in Argentina, 3 in Mexico) and owns high-quality minerals reserves. Quimbarra sales amount to 220,000 tonnes of PCC
and 150,000 tonnes of GCC, representing global sales of approximately $55 million.

• For The Paper Division :
  The Quimbarra acquisition represents Imerys' commitment to the carbonate market and strengthens our presence in
  PCC for paper, adding 5 satellite plants in Argentina and Brazil to its 5 North American plants.
  
  
• For The Performance Minerals Division:
  Quimbarra significantly strengthens Imerys' pigments-for-specialties activities in Latin America. This acquisition
  substantially increases Imerys' GCC production capacity in Brazil and Mexico. It broadens the product range offered
  to clients in this region, to include PCC, in line with the Group's multi-pigments strategy.
  
  Quimbarra allows Imerys to enter the global market for PCC for very high-purity applications, such as toothpaste,
  cosmetics or pharmaceuticals. These markets offer major development potential world-wide.

Since the merger with English China Clays, the Quimbarra acquisition comes on the heels of related acquisitions
over the past months:

• Mexican GCC Producer Trico
• Acquisition of two PCC plants in the US
• Recent award of a contract for a new satellite PCC plant in the US
  
• Acquisition of the GCC business of the French company AGS-BMP

IMERYS is a leading multi-pigment resource in the business of kaolin and carbonates for paper, focused on helping paper producers
build differentiated products, markets, and profitability. Today, IMERYS is a $2.5 billion company with approximately $1 billion in
annual sales to the paper industry.

IMERYS holds key kaolin reserves for paper in Cornwall, England; Middle Georgia, USA; Capim, Brazil, and Pittong, Australia.
These properties and advanced manufacturing facilities represent the largest investment of this kind for paper minerals. IMERYS
has twenty-five ground calcium carbonate (GCC) facilities in all papermaking regions, and has a growing position in precipitated
calcium carbonate (PCC), including a large share of the coating PCC market in North America.

For additional information, please contact Susan Boss Marketing Manager Phone
770-645-3493 e-mail sboss@imerys.com

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