Norwegian Fisheries Settle Salmon Antitrust Case

Norwegian fisheries have long been a major supplier of salmon to the US market, and their products have been subject to antitrust scrutiny in recent years, reported Bloomberg. 

In 2019, the US authorities filed a lawsuit alleging that Norwegian fisheries had engaged in a conspiracy to fix prices for salmon. 
The Norwegian fisheries have now agreed to settle the case, and they will pay $33 million to the US authorities. This is in addition to the $85 million settlement that they paid last year to end the litigation.

The Norwegian fisheries have been accused of similar antitrust violations in other countries, and it remains to be seen how these cases will be resolved.

Related: EU Conditionally Approves Salmon Farm Deal

The antitrust case against the Norwegian Fisheries was based on allegations that they had conspired to fix prices for salmon sold to US customers. This meant that customers had no choice but to pay what the Norwegian Fisheries wanted for their product, regardless of the market rate. This is a violation of US antitrust laws, and the US authorities sought to crack down on the fisheries.

The case was filed in 2018, and it was the first major antitrust action taken against Norwegian fisheries in the United States. Other countries had also filed similar complaints against Norwegian Fisheries.

For more information on the Norwegian Fisheries’ antitrust case, visit the US Department of Justice’s website.