Paris, France, 16 March 2007 -- Imerys today announces the construction of a new ground calcium carbonate (GCC) for paper unit in Niigata, Japan. The project comes under a joint venture (60% Imerys-owned) with Hokuetsu Paper Mills, one of Japan's leading papermakers and will be called The Niigata GCC Company Ltd.

The new production facility should start up in the second half of 2007 and will be supported by Imerys' marble reserves in Malaysia and Vietnam. It will supply 100% of the GCC needs of Hokuetsu's Niigata plant, one of the word's largest paper mills with total production capacity of 980 Kt/year.

This joint venture agreement will bolster Imerys' presence in Japan, where the Group already has two GCC production units. Following the start-up in 2005 and 2006 of three carbonate plants in India, China, and Indonesia, Imerys is continuing to implement its growth strategy for calcium carbonates in Asia.