Imerys

Share Issue/Capital Change • May 28, 2009

Paris, May 28, 2009

Successful completion of Imerys' rights issue

The €251 million rights issue with Preferential Subscription Rights (Droit Préférentiel de Souscription) for existing shareholders has been fully subscribed

The final gross proceeds of the rights issue amount to €251,150,360 with the issuance of 12,557,518 new shares. 12,432,521 new shares were subscribed for through the exercise of shareholders' pro rata subscription rights, and 124,997 new shares were subscribed on an over-subscription basis.

As a result, this rights issue, which adds a financial dimension to the operating measures undertaken by the Group to adapt its activities to an extremely deteriorated economic environment, will allow Imerys to consolidate its balance sheet structure, to improve its financial ratios by reducing its debt and to preserve all its room for manoeuvre with a view to seizing, when the time comes, strategic development opportunities.

Gérard Buffière, Chief Executive Officer of the Group, noted: "We would like to thank all those subscribed to this rights issue, and especially our existing shareholders."

The settlement of the rights issue and the listing of the new shares on Euronext Paris will take place on June 2, 2009. Therefore, as from June 2, 2009, the share capital of Imerys will be composed of 75,345,108 shares with a nominal value of €2 each, which translates into a total share equity capital of €150,690,216.

The new shares will carry dividends rights as of January 1, 2009. They will not entitle their holders to the €1 dividend declared with respect to the 2008 fiscal year. Upon issuance, the new shares will therefore be listed for trading on Euronext Paris on a separate quotation line (ISIN code FR0010755561) until the close of trading on the record date for the dividend with respect to 2008 (i.e., until the close of trading on July 1, 2009). As from July 2, 2009, the new shares will become fungible with the existing shares of the Company and will be traded on the same quotation line as the existing shares under the same code (ISIN code FR0000120859).

Imerys draws the attention of investors to the risk factors set forth in section 4 of its document de reference filed under n° D.09-0192 on April 3, 2009 with the Autorité des marchés financiers.

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This press release and the information contained herein do not constitute an offer to sell or subscribe, nor the solicitation of an order to purchase or subscribe, securities in any country.

Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States unless they are registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, ("U.S. Securities Act"), or are exempt from registration thereunder. The rights or shares of Imerys which were issued in connection with the share capital increase mentioned in this press release have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act.

Financial diary: Thursday, July 30th, 2009 1st half results 2009

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 3rd quarter results 2009

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The world leader in adding value to minerals, Imerys is active in 47 countries through more than 260 industrial and commercial sites. The Group achieved €3.4 billion in sales in 2008. Imerys mines and processes minerals from reserves with rare qualities in order to develop solutions that improve its customers' product performance and manufacturing efficiency. The Group's products have a great many applications in everyday life, including construction, personal care, paper, paint, plastic, ceramics, telecommunications and beverage filtration.

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Analyst/Investor Relations: Pascale Arnaud – +33 (0)1 49 55 63 23 shareholders@imerys.com

Press contacts: Pascale Arnaud – +33 (0)1 49 55 63 91 /66 55 Matthieu Roquet-Montégon – +33 (0)6 16 92 80 65