Mondelēz fined for cross-border trade restrictions

The EC has fined Mondelēz International, Inc. 337.5 million EUR for hindering the cross-border trade of chocolate, biscuits and coffee products between EU member states.

In addition to abusing its dominant position, the EC found that Mondelēz engaged in twenty-two anticompetitive agreements or concerted practices, in two different ways.

First, Mondelēz limited the territories or customers to which seven wholesalers could resell Mondelēz' products. One agreement also included a provision whereby Mondelēz required its customer to apply higher prices for exports compared to domestic sales.

Second, Mondelēz prevented ten exclusive distributors active in certain Member States from replying to sales requests from customers located in other Member States without prior permission from Mondelēz.

Mondelēz acknowledged having infringed EU competition law. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager indicated at a press conference that more similar cases are in the pipeline.

More information can be found here.