A PYMNTS Company

Australian Watchdog Focuses On COVID Test Prices

By  |  January 4, 2022

Australia’s antitrust regulator announced on Tuesday, January 4, it has contacted suppliers of COVID-19 rapid antigen test kits to examine pricing pressures in the market, as calls grow louder for the government to make the tests free amid a severe shortage of the kits, reported Reuters.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) stated it will review information received from suppliers, retailers, and the public to determine any potential misconduct.

Australia approved more than a dozen rapid antigen test kits and a majority of them are from China.

Hangzhou Biotest Biotech, whose rapid antigen test was approved in Australia in October, stated orders for its product from the country increased significantly in December and the trend continued in early January.

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.