CADE convicts car dealerships for gun-jumping

On 4 November, the Tribunal of the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) convicted the companies Premiere Distribuidora de Veículos Ltda., Saga France Comércio de Veículos, Peças e Serviços Ltda., and Saga Paris Comércio de Veículos, Peças e Serviços Ltda. for gun jumping, antitrust violation which occurs when the parties involved consummate transactions before the authority’s clearance.

The investigation concluded that Premiere acquired tangible and intangible assets from Saga France and Saga Paris, including assets used in sales and technical support operations, rights relating to Peugeot and Citroën brand licences, as well as a customer database. The transaction was formalised on 28 March 2024, and should have been submitted in advance to CADE for review, as it met the legal criteria for mandatory notification. 

According to José Levi Mello do Amaral Júnior, rapporteur of the case, the companies adopted measures to execute the transaction prior to the agency’s clearance, such as a contractual provision for the cessation of Saga’s activities as a Peugeot and Citroën dealer, the gradual transfer of fixed assets, which began in June 2024, and the sharing of the customer database with Premiere, in August of the same year.

As a result, the Tribunal imposed a fine of BRL 969,015.90 on the defendants.

Access Case No. 08700.002662/2025-03