{"id":6206,"date":"2023-11-10T16:55:04","date_gmt":"2023-11-10T15:55:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/?p=6206"},"modified":"2023-11-10T16:56:13","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T15:56:13","slug":"weko-ermittelt-gegen-stahlhandelsunternehmen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/en\/news-insights\/weko-ermittelt-gegen-stahlhandelsunternehmen\/","title":{"rendered":"COMCO investigates Steel Trading Companies"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"6206\" class=\"elementor elementor-6206\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-5e192929 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-eae-slider=\"54395\" data-id=\"5e192929\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-328c9e8\" data-eae-slider=\"27831\" data-id=\"328c9e8\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1457845 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"1457845\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"825\" height=\"495\" src=\"https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/LinkedIn-Bild-re-Stahlhandel.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-6205\" alt=\"COMCO investigates Steel Trading Companies\" srcset=\"https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/LinkedIn-Bild-re-Stahlhandel.jpg 825w, https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/LinkedIn-Bild-re-Stahlhandel-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/LinkedIn-Bild-re-Stahlhandel-768x461.jpg 768w, https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/LinkedIn-Bild-re-Stahlhandel-18x12.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 825px) 100vw, 825px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a76e28a\" data-eae-slider=\"11830\" data-id=\"a76e28a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-99081b4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-title elementor-page-title elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"99081b4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-title.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">COMCO investigates Steel Trading Companies<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5f29e2b elementor-widget elementor-widget-post-info\" data-id=\"5f29e2b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"post-info.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"elementor-inline-items elementor-icon-list-items elementor-post-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-685ec73 elementor-inline-item\" itemprop=\"about\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-tags\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-terms\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-post-info__terms-list\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-post-info__terms-list-item\">Competition<\/span>, <span class=\"elementor-post-info__terms-list-item\">News<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-d50ae70 elementor-inline-item\" itemprop=\"datePublished\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-calendar\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-date\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time>10.11.2023<\/time>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<li class=\"elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-ec6c601 elementor-inline-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-user-circle\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-icon-list-text elementor-post-info__item elementor-post-info__item--type-custom\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMario Strebel, Fabian Koch\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4d17332b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4d17332b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<style>.elementor-element-4d17332b{display:none !important}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e6fdab6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e6fdab6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<style>.elementor-element-e6fdab6{display:none !important}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0bcb7c3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0bcb7c3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>In a press release dated 8 November 2023, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weko.admin.ch\/weko\/en\/home.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Swiss Competition Commission<\/a> (COMCO) announced the opening of an investigation against three steel trading companies, including dawn raids.<\/p><p>According to COMCO, there are indications that the companies Arthur Weber AG, Debrunner Acifer Bewehrungen AG and Spaeter AG have tied the sale of reinforcing steel to the simultaneous purchase of spacer cages since 2021. Reinforcing steel is used in various forms such as bars or mesh in concrete construction. Spacer cages are used to create the desired spacing between the reinforcing steel placed in the concrete. This means that construction companies always need both reinforcing steel and spacer cages for concrete construction.<\/p><p>According to COMCO, there are indications that the three investigated companies are charging higher prices for the reinforcing steel if construction companies purchase spacer cages and reinforcing steel from different dealers.<\/p><p>The next step is to examine whether the companies have coordinated the behaviour under investigation and thus possibly fulfilled an agreement in breach of competition law. In addition, it will be investigated whether they hold a collectively dominant position and have abused such position within the meaning of the Cartel Act.<\/p><p>The presumption of innocence applies to the companies subject to the investigation. Even if there was coordination regarding the tying as a mere business condition, a competition law violation subject to direct fines should probably be denied from a collusion point of view. However, in its practice, COMCO interprets the offences pursuant to Art. 5 para. 3 and 4 of the Swiss Cartel Act extensively (see for example the article <a href=\"https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/en\/news-insights\/eugh-bekraeftigt-enge-auslegung-von-bezweckten-wettbewerbsbeschraenkungen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">European Court of Justice reaffirms restrictive interpretation of \u00abrestrictions of competition by object\u00bb<\/a>). Furthermore, it is likely to be very difficult to establish a collective dominant position of three independent companies. A collective dominant position can only be assumed with great caution and under very special circumstances. Hence, very high standards of proof apply.<\/p><p>The COMCO press release can be found under the link <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weko.admin.ch\/weko\/de\/home\/medien\/medieninformationen\/nsb-news.msg-id-98481.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a> (in German, French and Italian).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c0b3fb0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c0b3fb0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>CORE Attorneys is a boutique law firm in Switzerland, focusing on <a href=\"https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/en\/expertise\/wettbewerbsrecht\/\">competition\/antitrust law<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/en\/expertise\/regulierung\/\">regulatory<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/en\/expertise\/vertriebsrecht\/\">distribution law<\/a> matters. Visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/en\/news-insights\/\">News &amp; Insights<\/a> and follow us on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/core-attorneys\">LinkedIn<\/a> for regular updates on all our focus areas.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mit Medienmitteilung vom 8. November 2023 gab die Schweizer Wettbewerbskommission (WEKO) die Er\u00f6ffnung einer Untersuchung gegen drei Stahlhandelsunternehmen samt Hausdurchsuchungen bekannt. Gem\u00e4ss WEKO liegen Anhaltspunkte daf\u00fcr vor, dass die Unternehmen Arthur Weber AG, Debrunner Acifer Bewehrungen AG und die Spaeter&#8230;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6205,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"WEKO ermittelt gegen Stahlhandelsunternehmen","_seopress_titles_desc":"WEKO ermittelt gegen Stahlhandelsunternehmen","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10,9],"tags":[367,455,456,376,170,97,105,56,106,445,387,454,79,74,39,114,385,132,110],"class_list":["post-6206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-competition","category-neuigkeiten","tag-abreden","tag-art-5-abs-3-kg","tag-art-7-kg","tag-due-process","tag-horizontale-abreden","tag-informationsaustausch","tag-kartellgesetz","tag-kartellrecht","tag-kg","tag-kollektiv-marktbeherrschende-stellung","tag-koordination","tag-koppelung","tag-marktmachtmissbrauch","tag-schweiz","tag-weko","tag-weko-sekretariat","tag-wettbewerber","tag-wettbewerbsabreden","tag-wettbewerbskommission"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6206"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6235,"href":"https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6206\/revisions\/6235"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/core-attorneys.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}