Helsinki Times - Helsinki Times | Authorities uncover decade-long berry industry cartel

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Finland’s Competition and Consumer Authority (KKV) has proposed fines of over €9 million against the country’s largest wild‑berry companies after uncovering a decade‑long nationwide cartel that coordinated purchase prices for pickers and exchanged market information on blueberries, lingonberries and cloudberries from 2013‑2023. The scheme, involving Arctic International, Kaskein Marja, Marja Bothnia Berries, Polarica and the cooperating Kiantama, controlled about 80 % of Finland’s domestic wild‑berry purchasing market and roughly 78 % of the wholesale frozen‑berry market, using phone calls, text messages and WhatsApp chats to align rates, which reduced competition and harmed pickers. KKV seeks penalties totalling about €9.4 million—nearly €6 million for Polarica and smaller sums for the other firms—and has asked the Market Court to rule, noting the investigation began in 2022, involved raids in Finland and Sweden, and also raised concerns about labour practices and related criminal probes.

Read more: https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/business/28873-authorities-uncover-decade-long-berry-industry-cartel.html

#CompetitionAuthority #NationalBureau #MarketCourt #Finland #business

Sweden Herald - Latest Sweden News | Forest-berry companies in Finland accused of price fixing by Sweden Herald

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Five forest‑berry companies in Finland have been accused by the Competition and Consumer Authority (KKV) of operating a cartel that coordinated purchase prices for blueberries, lingonberries and cloudberries from pickers and exchanged wholesale price information for frozen berries between 2013 and 2023; the authority is seeking €9.4 million (about 100 million SEK) in fines against Arctic International, Kaskein Marja, Marja Bothnia Berries and Polarica, while a fifth firm, Kiantama, escaped penalties after assisting investigators, and the case is now before the Finnish Market Court.

Read more: https://swedenherald.com/article/forestberry-companies-in-finland-accused-of-price-fixing

#ArcticInternational #CompetitionAuthority #KKV #MarketCourt #businessnews