AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands - AkzoNobel has agreed to sell its Para(r) and Crown Diamond(r) decorative paint brands in Canada to General Paint Corp. The sale of Para and Crown Diamond, which has a similar name but is in no way connected to AkzoNobel's Crown(r) brand, is one of three divestments the company agreed to in connection with the Imperial Chemical Industries plc (ICI) acquisition.

The divestment of the Crown business in the UK and Ireland is progressing, while headway is also being made on the sale of the DeKeyn(r) and some other brands in Belgium.