Türkiye's competition watchdog announced on Tuesday that it fined tire manufacturers and distributors a combined TL 3.63 billion (nearly $78.5 million) for price coordination, anti-competitive dealer restrictions and labor market violations.
Brisa received the highest fine at TL 1.02 billion, followed by Goodyear at TL 672 million and Continental at TL 397 million, the Competition Authority (RK) said.
Violations included coordinated pricing among competitors and the exchange of sensitive labor market information among others, the authority said.
Moreover, the authority noted that according to the obligations under the investigation, price lists sent to dealers need to be watermarked, announcements cannot be shared collectively, and dealers would need to have access to a system/interface with their own user accounts.
"The practice of sending announcements with the above-mentioned characteristics collectively to multiple dealers or all dealers must be discontinued. Instead, such announcements must be made individually through an interface/portal where each dealer can access the information using its own username and password, and where transactions between the producer/supplier undertakings and dealers are carried out. No verbal or written method other than the relevant interface/portal may be used," the statement read.
The statement also noted that companies must document that they have implemented these regulations within three months.
Separately, an anti-dumping investigation has been launched into imports of passenger car tires from Czechia, South Korea, Serbia, and Slovakia, as well as cord fabric from China and Vietnam used in their production.
According to the communiqué on preventing unfair competition in imports published in the country's Official Gazette on Tuesday, following an application by Petlas A.Ş. and Kocaeli Lastik Sanayi A.Ş., supported by Sumitomo Rubber Ako Lastik Sanayi AŞ, it was determined that the alleged dumping of passenger car tires from the Czechia, South Korea, Serbia, and Slovakia caused material damage to the economic indicators of the domestic production sector.
The Board for the Evaluation of Unfair Competition in Imports, the primary trade defense authority in Türkiye, thus decided to open an anti-dumping investigation into the import of these products.
The board also evaluated an application by Kordsa Teknik Tekstil A.Ş. and decided to open an anti-dumping investigation into imports of nylon cord fabric from China and polyester cord fabric from China and Vietnam.
