The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine fined Interpipe for abuse of monopoly position
The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) fined Viktor Pinchuk's company Interpipe for 69.3 million hryvnia for violating antimonopoly legislation. According to the decision of the AMCU, the fine was imposed in connection with the abuse of a monopoly position in the wheel supply market.
Interpipe has officially stated that it strongly disagrees with such conclusions of the AMCU and intends to challenge this decision in court.
“As a national manufacturer, we consider the decision of the AMCU to be unfair and unfounded, taken not on the basis of facts, but on assumptions. The Ukrainian market is open to producers from other countries, there are no protective duties on the market, "Interpipe said in a statement.
Pinchuk's company believes that by submitting such complaints to the AMCU, unscrupulous competitors are trying to discredit the national manufacturer in order to ensure the supply of Russian manufacturers' products to Ukraine.
Interpipe recalled that unlike the Ukrainian market, the Russian Federation protected its market from Ukrainian wheels with a 39% protective duty.
The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine recognized the concerted actions (conspiracy) of four companies related to the distortion of the bidding results as a violation of the legislation on the protection of economic competition. We are talking about limited liability companies "Interpipe Ukraine", "Retek", "Transport Investments" and "Firm" Intervtorprom ".
Trades were held back in 2018. The customer was the branch of OJSC Ukrzaliznytsia, and the total expected cost for 42 procurement procedures for spare parts for rolling stock (namely, solid-rolled wheels and rough tires) amounted to almost 700 million hryvnia. The winner in all procedures was the Interpipe Ukraine society.
By according to the AMCU , the fight was actually feigned, and the participating companies are bound by agreements and have common interests.