Packaging / Advertising & Office

The new round of industrial base paper price hikes is surging, and the psychological impact on the middle and lower reaches of the industry is significant. Many people are beginning to worry about the sudden rise in international pulp prices, which will contribute to the domestic price hike.

However, a piece of rare good news finally arrived!

According to information released by the European Union, on October 12, the European Commission conducted a surprise inspection of major companies in the wood pulp production industry in the member states.

The Commission stated that they are concerned that “the company being inspected may have violated EU antitrust rules, which prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices in accordance with Article 101 of the EU Operational Treaty.” Commission officials are the counterparts of the relevant national competition authorities. Accompany.

In a press statement, Stora Enso stated that the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority visited its headquarters in Kanavaranta, Finland, and included it in the scope of inspection. Stora Enso said it is fully cooperating with the authorities.

In a similar press statement, UPM also confirmed that the committee is inspecting its office premises. The company stated that at this stage, it has no information on the results of the inspection. UPM explained that it supports the commission’s investigation but cannot comment further on the ongoing investigation.

MetsäFiber stated that the European Commission today began inspections of its companies under EU antitrust rules as part of a larger investigation into the wood pulp industry market. The company stated that, based on current information, MetsäBoard has not been investigated. MetsäFiber explained that it will cooperate fully with the European Commission authorities.

The committee stated that the unannounced inspection is a preliminary action to investigate suspected violations of competition. The committee’s conduct of such inspections does not mean that these companies have committed anti-competitive behavior, nor does it prejudge the results of the investigation. The committee fully respects its defense rights in antitrust litigation, especially the company's right to express opinions.

There is no statutory deadline for completing the investigation of anti-competitive conduct. The duration of the investigation depends on many factors, including the complexity of each case, the degree of cooperation between the company and the committee, and the scope of the right to defend.

The anti-monopoly initiated by the European Union is an urgent action under the crisis of global inflation. The purpose is to stabilize high prices and avoid the recurrence of tragedies like uncontrolled rise of commodities such as coal and natural gas.

Anyone who understands knows that the EU's antitrust investigation will definitely not be a formality. Judging from the antitrust investigations initiated by the European Union against Apple, Google, and Facebook in the past, the Commission is accustomed to using Thunder tactics. Therefore, the anti-monopoly investigation initiated by the European Commission against pulp this time will surely deter pulp companies around the world and have a certain suppressing effect on the trend of pulp prices.