Ukraine’s 10 year antitrust tobacco saga is coming to an end

Kluwer Competition Law Blog, Oleksandr Dyakulych and Anastasiia Panchak, 22 June 2021

Click here to read the full article online

In October 2019, Ukrainian news feeds ’exploded’ as the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (the AMCU) imposed a record-breaking fine of a total of about €240 mln. for anticompetitive practices.

The AMCU accused the four largest Ukrainian tobacco manufacturers - British American Tobacco, Philip Morris, Japan Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco - and their wholesale distributor - TEDIS Ukraine - of participating in a long-lasting cartel aimed at creating an artificial barrier to entering the cigarette sales marketmarket.

It is worth mentioning that this high-profile case evoked an unprecedented political reaction and has even been brought to an international arena: one of the Respondents – Philip Morris – in connection with the AMCU’s decision lodged a claim against the Government of Ukraine to the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).

In their article "Ukraine’s 10 Year Antitrust Tobacco Saga Is Coming To An End," originally published by Kluwer Competition Law Blog on June 22, 2021, Oleksandr Dyakulych and Anastasiia Panchak of Arzinger Law Office lay out a brief chronology of the key facts pertaining to the Tobacco Saga development.

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