CADE signs six agreements in antitrust investigations

The Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) signed cease and desist agreements with six companies investigated for anticompetitive practices. 

On 21 March 2025, the authority signed with Álya Construtora S.A. (former Construtora Queiroz Galvão S.A.) a cease and desist agreement, concerning 19 administrative proceedings that investigate antitrust violations in public procurements for engineering works and services. 

The company recognised its participation in several conducts and has to pay a financial contribution of more than BRL 125 million to the Fund for De Facto Joint Rights (FDD). In addition, Álya Construtora S.A. committed to cooperate with CADE and to adopt measures to avoid future anticompetitive practices. 

The ongoing investigations are under the responsibility of the Office of the Superintendent General at CADE. The cease and desist agreements signed with Dow Brasil Sudeste Industrial Ltda., Monsanto do Brasil Ltda., and IBM Brasil – Indústrias Máquinas e Serviços Ltda. involve investigations into the Brazilian labour market. The companies committed to pay BRL 79,581,627.55 to the Fund for De Facto Joint Rights (FDD). 

In addition to the financial contributions, the documents also require the companies to stop their illegal activities, recognise participation in the conduct, and cooperate effectively with the ongoing investigations. 

Finally, 3M do Brasil Ltda. and Bayer S.A. signed the agreement within the investigation of the exchange of competitively sensitive information among employers of the segment of consumer products, with possible effects in the Brazilian labour market. 

With the signature of the agreements, the companies confessed their participation in the conducts and committed to cooperate with the agency in the investigations, stop the anticompetitive practices, and adopt measures to avoid repeating misconduct. Moreover, they will pay sums that amount to more than BRL 9.4 million to the FDD—BRL 4,454,414.82 from 3M and BRL 5,003,188.80 from Bayer. 

The execution of the six cease and desist agreements is aligned with CADE’s policy to improve efficiency, allowing for more effective investigations. Thus, the cease and desist agreements suspend the case as to the signatories until the final decision, as they are to fulfil the obligations set out in the documents.