Salmon producers to challenge cartel allegations at trial September 15-18

(Adds comment by SalMar, Grieg Seafood in paragraphs 8-9)

BRUSSELS, Sept 13 (Reuters) – Grieg Seafood, SalMar and other Norwegian salmon producers will challenge EU allegations of cartel and price-fixing at a hearing in Brussels, the companies and three people with direct knowledge of the matter said.

The closed hearing before senior European Commission officials and national regulators, and possibly third parties, came eight months after the companies were issued with a statement of objections or charges under antitrust law.

The EU’s executive body, which serves as the EU’s competition enforcer, declined to comment.

The indictment said Mitsubishi Corp.’s Mowi, Cermaq, Grieg Seafood, Bremnes, Leroy and SalMar exchanged confidential commercial information, such as sales prices and production volumes, between 2011 and 2019.

It said this only applies to spot sales of Norwegian Atlantic salmon to the EU, and not sales under long-term contracts.

The alleged conduct concerns the sale of fresh, whole and gutted Atlantic salmon farmed in Norway, which accounts for almost 80% of all farmed Atlantic salmon exported from Norway. The companies were raided by the EU watchdog in 2019.

Norway accounts for more than half of the world’s production of farmed Atlantic salmon, and the EU is its main importer.

Salmar said he strongly disagreed with the Commission’s preliminary assessment and would make his views known at the hearing.

Grieg Seafood confirmed it would attend the hearing and denied any antitrust violations or anti-competitive conduct by the company or its subsidiaries.

Mowi declined to comment. The other companies did not respond to requests for comment. All risk fines of up to 10% of global turnover for violating EU antitrust rules.

Six companies have agreed to pay $85 million to resolve antitrust claims by salmon buyers in 2022. Earlier this year, a group of British retailers said it planned to seek compensation.

The U.S. Justice Department closed its investigation in 2023 after sending subpoenas to Mowi, SalMar, Leroy and Grieg in 2019, the companies said. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Philippa Fletcher and Jonathan Oatis)