Peru’s judicial power ratifies fines for Unacem

Peruvian cement production Unacem and its distributors saw a UIT1614 (PEN6.7m – US$2m) fine imposed by Indecopi in 2014 for anticompetitive practices, ratified by the country’s Third Chamber of Constitutional and Social Transitional Law of the Supreme Court. 

The supervising body had sanctioned the companies Unacem, La Viga, A Berio & Cia, Manufactures of Commercial and Industrial Steel and 17 natural persons for "unreasonably and unjustifiably refused to sell cement Sol (manufactured by Unacem) to those hardware stores that marketed the competing Quisqueya cement brand (of Cemex)," Indecopi said in a statement.

Moreover, the behaviour of these companies also prevented Cemex from accessing the hardware channel, which represents 75 per cent of cement sales in Peru. The practice is sanctioned by the Law of Repression of Anticompetitive Behaviours.

Indecopi said that Unacem, the distributors and 16 individuals have already paid the fines - only payment of the fine by one person is still outstanding.