CADE condemns two associations for price fixing

The Administrative Council for Economic Defense – CADE condemned, in trial session on Wednesday 20/02, two associations for price fixing. The Associação Brasileira de Agências de Viagens do Rio de Janeiro – ABAV-RJ and the Associação dos Produtores de Derivados de Calcário – APDC do Estado do Paraná were penalised for fixing prices of services and product manufacture, in sequence.

Reporting Commissioner, Ricardo Machado Ruiz, stated that price fixing through the disclosure of a minimum cost spreadsheet is an act with potential to harm competition.

APDC (Administrative Proceeding no. 08012.009834/2006-57) was condemned to pay a fine in the amount of 250,000 BRL for fixing minimum costs to the production of quicklime bag in Paraná. ABAV-RJ (Administrative Proceeding no. 08012.006923/2002-18) will have to pay the amount of 100,000 BRL for elaborating a minimum cost spreadsheet to the services done by its associated travel agencies, in 2002.

During the trial session, CADE´s President, Vinicius Marques de Carvalho, asserted that any practice of price fixing is very likely to be condemned by the Council.