OREANDA-NEWS. August 04, 2011. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) initiated a case against “Edinaya Torgovaya Kompania” OJSC (“ETK” OJSC), “Sibmanagement” Ltd., “GaloPolymer Kirovo-Chepetsk” Ltd., “Caustic” OJSC (of Volgograd), “Caustic” OJSC (of Sterlitamak), “Khimprom” OJSC (Novocheboksarsk) and “Khimprom” OJSC (of Volgograd) upon the signs of violating Clauses 1, 3 and 4 Part 1 Article 11 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” (prohibiting anticompetitive agreements between economic entities), reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

FAS Russia suspects that the companies concluded an agreement on the market of liquid caustic soda, which has resulted in fixing prices, dividing the wholesale market of liquid caustic soda according to the buyer composition, and economically unjustified refusing to conclude contracts with particular customers.

“Based on an analysis of information and documentation obtained by FAS we may suspect that there is an agreement on the market liquid caustic soda, particularly, about dividing the market according to the group of buyers. It means that each participant to the agreement only delivers to its “own” plant and doe not send supplies to customers that are within the “sphere of influence” of any other participant”, pointed out the Head of the FAS Cartel Department Alexander Kinev.