The Wool Exporters Council is not happy at the prospect of a wool scouring monopoly being created. There are two scour operators in New Zealand at present.
Cavalier Wool Holdings says it will renew its bid for the assets of Wool Services International, after a High Court judgement in its favour.
The Court dismissed an appeal against a Commerce Commission decision clearing the way for the acquisition.
Cavalier says merging the two wool cleaning operations is essential to their survival, to reduce costs in the face of falling wool supply and more wool being exported in a greasy state to China, where scouring is cheaper.
But the Wool Exporters Council is not convinced by that argument.
Executive manager Nick Nicholson says the wool scouring sector has already been through major restructuring in recent years and is now fairly evenly balanced between the two companies.
He says 75% - 80% of the wool clip is still scoured in New Zealand.