Russia's Uralkali settles US antitrust claims

MOSCOW, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Russian group Uralkali , the world's second-largest potash producer by capacity, said on Friday it signed settlement agreements to exit a U.S. antitrust case.

Uralkali added that the agreements were signed with direct and indirect plaintiffs for $10 million and $2.75 million respectively.

The agreements shall come into effect after final approval of the U.S. federal district court for the Northern District of Illinois.

In September 2008 potash consumers brought civil antitrust complaints in the U.S. federal courts against Uralkali and several other potash producers. The complaints alleged price fixing violations of the U.S. Sherman Act since 1 July 2003, Uralkali added. (Reporting by Polina Devitt; editing by Vladimir Soldatkin)