Statement re British Aggregates Association

Anglo American PLC
Tarmac PLC
17 February 2000


JOINT ANNOUNCEMENT BY AA PLC AND TARMAC PLC

Anglo American plc ('Anglo American') and Tarmac plc ('Tarmac') announce today
that  the  statement issued by the British Aggregates Association  ('BAA')  as
reported  on Reuters on February 16 was misleading and contained a  number  of
factual errors.  In the statement, the BAA claimed that the divestment package
as  outlined by the OFT on February 8 and agreed to by Anglo American,  was  a
'cynical  ploy' and 'that most of the plants offered for sale would have  been
closed as a result of the merger.'

Anglo  American  and  Tarmac wish to place on record  that  these  claims  are
without  any  foundation  whatsoever.   Anglo  American  has  agreed  to  sell
aggregates and asphalt assets to cut the combined group's market share to  33%
or  below in all production areas within a 30 mile radius of an Anglo American
or  Tarmac  quarry.  The majority of the assets under consideration are  long-
life,  significant operations and which would not have been closed as a result
of the merger.

In  a  joint statement, Robbie Robertson CEO of Anglo Industrial Minerals  and
Roy  Harrison, CEO of Tarmac said:  'The plants will be acquired  by  existing
competitors  as  going  concerns.  To date we have had many  approaches  which
confirms the substantial interest in the available assets.'



NOTE TO EDITORS:

Anglo American and Tarmac are members of the Quarry Products Association in
the UK, which represents the majority of the aggregates industry in the UK.
The British Aggregates Association represents a small proportion of the
aggregates industry.