Is Product-Fixing a Forgotten Form of Collusion in Brazilian Antitrust Law? A Comparative Analysis of Enforcement Trends and Legal Frameworks in Brazil and Abroad

Main Article Content

Alessandro Giacaglia

Abstract

This paper examines product-fixing under Brazilian antitrust law, focusing on Cade’s enforcement practice and its alignment with international standards. Although not explicitly defined in Law No. 12,529/2011, product-fixing can be considered anticompetitive when it undermines innovation, product quality, or consumer choice. Based on a comparative analysis of key precedents from the European Union and the United States, the article argues for the recognition of product-fixing as a distinct form of horizontal collusion.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Article Details

How to Cite
Giacaglia, A. (2025). Is Product-Fixing a Forgotten Form of Collusion in Brazilian Antitrust Law? : A Comparative Analysis of Enforcement Trends and Legal Frameworks in Brazil and Abroad. Revista Do IBRAC, (2), 10–34. Retrieved from https://revista.ibrac.org.br/revista/article/view/1457
Section
Artigos para Revista do IBRAC
Author Biography

Alessandro Giacaglia, a:1:{s:5:"pt_BR";s:23:"Pinheiro Neto Advogados";}

Alessandro P. Giacaglia is a dual-qualified lawyer (Brazil and New York) at Pinheiro Neto Advogados. His professional background includes experience at a leading law firm in Washington, D.C., as well as at CADE and the São Paulo Prosecutor’s Office. In academia, Giacaglia holds an LL.M. from the University of Chicago, an LL.M. in Corporate Law from Insper, a post-graduate degree in Internal Investigations, and a bachelor’s degree in law.

References

BORK, Robert H. The Antitrust Paradox. A Policy at War with Itself. Basic Books, Inc. Harper Torchbooks. 1978.

BRAZIL. Cade. Inquérito Administrativo 08700.007831/2012-79. Representados: ABNT, e outros. Nota Técnica 16/2015//CGAA3/SGA1/SG/CADE. Disponível em: [https://sei.cade.gov.br/sei/modulos/pesquisa/md_pesq_documento_consulta_externa.php?xgSJHD3TI7Rh0CrGYtJb0A1Onc6JnUmZgGFW0zP7uM8Zd4kPxVn03sfqf6y3nP0LsG_hbKRQR8PoQ7LAkhMq8eqxzaWqdqRQOfKwqlFknaqkaZj2298THUZXm2LcqWu1]. Acesso em: 21 jul. 2025.

BRAZIL. Cade. Processo Administrativo 08012.003874/2009-38. Representados: Arcal e outros. Voto Conselheiro Ricardo Ruiz. Disponível em: [https://sei.cade.gov.br/sei/modulos/pesquisa/md_pesq_documento_consulta_externa.php?mYbVb954ULaAVMRKzMwwbd5g_PuAKStTlNgP-jtcH5MdmPeznqYAOxKmGO9r4mCfJlTXxQMN01pTgFwPLudA9fKzkMzkAGgG8K1NYH4Ny3XF-io3U1gqQ5A3P4-nyQo%22]. Acesso em: 22 jul. 2025.

BRAZIL. Cade. Processo Administrativo 08012.009834/2006-57. Representados: APPC. Voto Ricardo Ruiz. Disponível em: [https://sei.cade.gov.br/sei/modulos/pesquisa/md_pesq_documento_consulta_externa.php?mYbVb954ULaAV-MRKzMwwbd5g_PuAKStTlNgPjtcH5MdmPeznqYAOxKmGO9r4mCfJlTXxQMN01pTgFwPLudA0iPtI6rz_wKzbbJqfyD559Sh6rPg_1QPHvfgHJablMg%22]. Acesso em: 22 jul. 2025.

BRAZIL. Cade. Processo Administrativo 08012.011142/2006-79. Representados: Anor Pinto Filipi e outros. Voto Conselheiro Alessandro Octaviani. Disponível em: [https://sei.cade.gov.br/sei/modulos/pesquisa/md_pesq_documento_consulta_externa.php?j4i2qcDlHOXFW-U1U1ZGsi1sKtbSyYoPuKfr1F_h9s4dDbYpk0TORtzPIiCWyVm9x0SZZoQ_z41ob4ePRi9RcMHzojblIfFhr0-G40UizzungPSKv9lxSVBaHEAoAo]. Acesso em: 22 jul. 2025.

BRAZIL. Cade. Processo Administrativo 08700.003390/2016-60. Voto Conselheiro Luiz Hoffmann. Representados: Amanco Brasil e outros, SEI 0927207. Disponível em: [https://sei.cade.gov.br/sei/modulos/pesquisa/md_pesq_documento_consulta_externa.php?DZ2uWeaYicbuRZEFhBt-n3BfPLlu9u7akQAh8mpB9yPEp9uWnELU3NOEcuqN5Med3_DQHQIcpJ7d3EKnylPHDWBTSlTArGrIz2_t7AmBCxUx-OWlGxW7qinWJlnEy1kw]. Acesso em: 22 jul. 2025.

BRAZIL. Cade. Processo Administrativo nº 08700.005636/2020-14. Representados: Augustinho Stang e outros. Voto do Conselheiro Victor Oliveira Fernandes. Disponível em: [https://sei.cade.gov.br/sei/modulos/pesquisa/md_pesq_documento_consulta_externa.php?11fcbFkN81DNKUdhz4iilnqI5_uKxXOK06JWeBzhMdu1o7VqyXeq9tKSSC3I_YlnBX8Qjt099g7spbtEu5AyyymBnTLOB7_6HlmKQdUz55rfc1gFUdZ4VTQv4KK5ICgP%22]. Acesso em: 22 jul. 2025.

BRAZIL. Cade. Processo Administrativo No. 08012.010648/2009-11. Representados: Abióptica e outros. Voto Conselheiro Eduardo Pontual. Disponível em: [https://sei.cade.gov.br/sei/modulos/pesquisa/md_pesq_documento_consulta_externa.php?11fcbFkN81DNKUdhz4iilnqI5_uKxXOK06JWeBzhMdu1o7VqyXeq9tKSSC3I_YlnBX8Qjt099g7spbtEu5Ayy33obLWYRXNsPalxG3FDl1jFFN6Znt0vzb6RK-7QoLSr%22]. Acesso em: 22 jul. 2025.

BRAZIL. Cade. Guia - Análise de Atos de Concentração Horizontal. Junho de 2016. Disponível em: [https://cdn.cade.gov.br/Portal/centrais-de-conteudo/publicacoes/guias-do-cade/guia-para-analise-de-atos-de-concentracao-horizontal.pdf]. Acesso em: 20 jul. 2025.

BRAZIL. Cade. Ato de Concentração 08700.003985/2023-44. Requerentes: Knauf do Brasil Ltda. e Trevo Industrial de Acartonados S.A. Voto Conselheiro Victor Oliveira Fernandes. Disponível em: [https://sei.cade.gov.br/sei/modulos/pesquisa/md_pesq_documento_consulta_externa.php?HJ7F4wnIPj2Y8B7Bj80h1lskjh7ohC8yMfhLoDBLdda1MbZVBdvxREi6fq4b4uXdTwR7R2mRiLjFLScA_VxKMF4h_ddmDIGrbUMpUgGT-ZvLpN8R0y8S7KjsFnRajcK8]. Acesso em: 22 jul. 2025.

BRAZIL. Cade. Nota Técnica 09/2018/CGAA3/SGA1/SG/CADE. Processo 08700.004189/2015-19. Disponível em: [https://sei.cade.gov.br/sei/modulos/pesquisa/md_pesq_documento_consulta_externa.php?DZ2uWeaYicbuRZEFhBtn3BfPLlu9u7akQAh8mpB9yNDjyVIw_UBp7LG2YW0M2Cimc4j9WOnpeiIHZYwe_fIDmCA6rargBodn6CJZ6_HywrjKJphzAv5nIvikaqhygr-]. Acesso em: 21 jul. 2025.

BRAZIL. Cade. Nota Técnica 29/2016/CGAA3/SGA1/SG. Processo Administrativo 08012.001594/2011-18. Disponível em: [https://sei.cade.gov.br/sei/modulos/pesquisa/md_pesq_documento_consulta_externa.php?DZ2uWeaYicbuRZEFhBtn3BfPLlu9u7akQAh8mpB9yOoHDEVcGPBanjeFHwBkLypvyZrn_ViOFWl7aN-8Vdzn4L6pIeatNXo1K9_cgF_8s4ObojmqbUtmQgh2VUCHXBF]. Acesso em: 21 jul. 2025.

BRAZIL. Cade. Recurso Voluntário 08700.010219/2024-17. Telefonaktiebolaget L.M. Ericsson. Voto Conselheiro Gustavo Augusto. Disponível em: [https://sei.cade.gov.br/sei/modulos/pesquisa/md_pesq_documento_consulta_externa.php?HJ7F4wnIPj2Y8B7Bj80h1lskjh7ohC8yMfhLoDBLddZ7BJaSj-iR1wMZDgIQel66QrOJDLDJGYRy-WsBSAfbjklLga9Ngwl0hnt79IxSPWw7M1P4PO-XIeQ-ORAZyGVg]. Acesso em: 22 jul. 2025.

CARLTON, Dennis W.; PERLOFF, Jeffrey M. Modern Industrial Organization. 4. ed. Boston: Pearson/Addison Wesley, 2005.

CLEARY GOTTLIEB. The topic was recently revived in the United States of America, with statements from the Department of Justice, regarding the product-fixing risk. Cleary Gottlieb, 2 jul. 2025. Disponível em: [https://www.clearygottlieb.com/news-and-insights/publication-listing/doj-antitrust-division-warns-about-product-fixing-risk]. Acesso em: 22 jul. 2025.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION. Case AT.39639 – Optical Disk Drives. Decision of 21 October 2015. Disponível em: [https://ec.europa.eu/competition/antitrust/cases/dec_docs/39639/39639_3631_8.pdf]. Acesso em: 22 jul. 2025.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION. Case AT.40178 – Car Emissions. Decision of 7 August 2021. Disponível em: [https://ec.europa.eu/competition/antitrust/cases1/202330/AT_40178_8022289_3048_7.pdf]. Acesso em: 22 jul. 2025.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION. Guidelines on the applicability of Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to horizontal co-operation agreements. (2023/C 259/01). 2023. Disponível em: [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52023XC0721(01]. Acesso em: 22 jul. 2025.

JASPER, Eric Hadmann. Paradoxo tropical: a finalidade do direito da concorrência no Brasil. Revista de Defesa da Concorrência, Brasília, v. 7, n. 2, 2019. Disponível em: [https://revista.cade.gov.br/index.php/revistadedefesadaconcorrencia/article/view/424]. Acesso em: 21 jul. 2025.

MOTTA, Massimo. Competition Policy: Theory and Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

U.S.A. District Court — Northern District of California. In Re: German Automotive Manufacturers Antitrust Litigation. October 2020. Disponível em: [https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/in-re-german-auto-888761728]. Acesso em: 22 jul. 2025.

U.S.A. United States Court of Appeals Seventh Circuit. National Macaroni Manufacturers Association et al. v. Federal Trade Commission. n. 14713. 1965. Disponível em: [https://law.resource.org/pub/us/case/reporter/F2/345/345.F2d.421.14713_1.html]. Acesso em: 22 jul. 2025.