Johannesburg - Corobrik a well-known manufacturer and supplier of bricks,
pavers including clay and concrete blocks in SA and five other brick makers,
have been charged for price fixing and division of markets.
This follows an investigation launched by the Commission in
April this year against Corobrik, Era Bricks, Eston Brick and Tile, De
Hoop Brickfields, Clay Industry and Kopano Brickworks for
contravening the Competition Act, by engaging in price fixing and division of
markets in the manufacturing and supply of bricks, pavers and blocks of clay
and concrete.
Commision spokesperson, Sipho Ngwema said Corobrik entered
into separate bilateral agreements with each of the above companies in terms of
which they agreed to divide the market by allocating specific products and/or
customers in contravention with the Competition Act.
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“Corobrik and Era Bricks agreed to fix prices at which they
sold bricks, pavers and blocks. They concluded a Memorandum of Agreement in terms
of which they agreed that.”
“Era Bricks would not supply its products directly to
customers in competition with Corobrik, but instead would sell directly to
Corobrik who would then sell to customers in the open market.”
Ngwema said Era Bricks would not manufacture or sell any
bricks other than the types it was manufacturing and selling to Corobrik.
“It would not manufacture or sell any competitive product
capable of being utilised in the brick industry in substitution for bricks; and
in the event that Era Bricks has excess products, Era Bricks agreed not to sell
such excess products at prices that are lower than those charged by Corobrik.”
Corobrik concluded separate bilateral Distributorship
Agreement with each of Eston Brick, Clay Industry, De Hoop and Kopano wherein
each of Eston Brick, Clay Industry, De Hoop and Kopano agreed with Corobrik
that they would not supply their respective products directly to customers in
competition with Corobrik.
Instead, they will each supply their respective products to
Corobrik which would then sell directly to customers.