Germany

On behalf of the team

In January 2022 Germany’s antitrust watchdog, the Bundeskartellamt, conducted unannounced dawn raids at the German premises of cable manufacturers. On 18 January 2022, cable manufacturers Leoni AG and the Italian Prysmian S.p.A. stated they were visited by the Bundeskartellamt.[1]According to Mlex, ‘Leoni confirms inspections by antitrust authorities in German cable-cartel probe’, 18 January 2022’; see also Press release of Prysmian of 18 January 2022. Two days later, French cable maker Nexans S.A. said it was also the target of antitrust inspections by the regulator.[2]According to Mlex, ‘Nexans joins Leoni under German carte suspicion’, 20 January 2022. The searches are said to be part of a new investigation into cable manufacturers that allegedly coordinated the calculation of industry-standard metal surcharges in Germany. The cable manufacturers declared their willingness to cooperate with the Bundeskartellamt. Companies purchasing cables from the undertakings concerned in the investigation might have been harmed by the alleged collusion between manufacturers.