Argentina: Fine slapped on ‘Ayudín’ makers

Argentina’s Secretary of Commerce has fined CLOROX, maker of Argentinian detergent brand ‘Ayudín’, with over $50 million pesos. The company stands accused of engaging in ‘anticompetitive practices’, including issuing threats to supermarkets of removing their discounts unless they kept a certain price gap between them and their competitors.

Ayudín is Argentina’s leading detergent, with 50% of the market share, creating a two-tier market structure. Clorox’s strategy would have raised the retail prices for competitors by demanding that the price gap between their products remain below 30% The fine is the first such action against commercial companies undertaken by Argentina’s new Interior Commerce Secretary, Augusto Costa. It follows a high profile investigation and fines on price-fixing within Argentina’s auto market.

Full content: Clarín

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