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Arkema France’s sodium chlorate price-fixing fine increased by 90 percent for being repeat offender

By  |  March 28, 2012

The European Commission has fined four chlorate paper bleach producers for allocating sales and price-fixing. EKA Chemicals, Akzo Nobel, Finnish Chemicals, Erikem Luxembourg, Arkema France, Elf Aquitaine, Aragonesas Industrias y Energia and Uralita were found to have divided the market for sodium chlorate and to have fixed the chemical’s prices, from 1994 to 2000.

The companies were fined a combined total of 73,401,000 euros. Under the leniency program Akzo Nobel and subsidiary EKA Chemicals received full immunity from fines for being the first to report the cartel to the Commission in 2003. Arkema France’s fine, on the other hand, was increased by 90 percent for being a repeat offender: it was involved in three cartels in the past, in the plastics sector. With the adjustment, Arkema France’s total fine is 59,020,000 euros. This penalty marks the first time the Commission has increased a fine by this magnitude.

Full content: EC Press Release

 

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