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An Anatomy of Cartel Contracts

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  • Ari Hyytinen
  • Frode Steen
  • Otto Toivanen

Abstract

We study the contracts of 898 legal Finnish cartels. Cartels that exclusively allocate markets, either geographically or in the product/production space, are dominant in manufacturing. They are often bilateral and include a vertical dimension. Structural industry characteristics predict the type of a cartel, e.g., consistent with theory, quota cartels are more common in manufacturing and when buyers are primarily industrial. The contracts of quota cartels include more (governance) clauses. Pure pricing cartels are the dominant cartel type in non-manufacturing and are more common when demand is primarily from retail buyers. Pricing cartels are larger than other types of cartels.

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  • Ari Hyytinen & Frode Steen & Otto Toivanen, 2019. "An Anatomy of Cartel Contracts," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 129(621), pages 2155-2191.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:econjl:v:129:y:2019:i:621:p:2155-2191.
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    7. Andres, Maximilian & Bruttel, Lisa & Friedrichsen, Jana, 2021. "How do sanctions work? The choice between cartel formation and tacit collusion," VfS Annual Conference 2021 (Virtual Conference): Climate Economics 242372, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
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    9. George Symeonidis, 2024. "Unprofitable Cartels: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in the UK," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 64(3), pages 421-447, May.
    10. Martin, Simon & Schmal, W. Benedikt, 2021. "Collusive compensation schemes aided by algorithms," DICE Discussion Papers 375, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • K12 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - Contract Law
    • L40 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - General
    • L41 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Monopolization; Horizontal Anticompetitive Practices

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