The day after the U.S. Department of Justice announced that 3M Co. scrapped its $550 million purchase of rival Avery Dennison Corp.’s sticky note business over antitrust concerns, the companies vowed to clear regulatory obstacles and finalize the deal. After the DOJ threatened to sue to block the deal on the grounds that the transaction would give 3M a more than 80 percent share of the U.S. label and sticky note markets, the companies withdrew forms filed with antitrust regulators. However, a day later, the companies announced that they have not terminated the purchase agreement governing the transaction, and are working together to explore options to address the DOJ’s concerns, obtain regulatory approval, and complete the transaction. The all-cash acquisition, announced in January, covers the bulk of Avery Dennison’s sticky note and label segment. Even though the terms specifically exclude a portion of Avery Dennison’s assets, the DOJ claims the proposed deal would substantially cut competition in the label and sticky note sectors. If it goes through, the deal will be the latest in a string of acquisitions by 3M. In the past year, it acquired Advanced Chemistry & Technology Inc., the maker of aerospace sealants, the tape-related assets of Alpha Beta Enterprise Co. Ltd., and Federal Technologies Group, an electronic toll collection and parking management services firm.