On 10 November 2016, Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia acknowledged Primorsky Commercial Port (PTP LLC) as violating Clause 1 Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” through fixing and maintaining monopolistically high prices for oil transshipment services. FAS says it will impose an administrative fine on the company and will order it to stop violating the antimonopoly legislation.
In June 2016 FAS opened cases upon signs of violating the antimonopoly law against 9 companies, rendering freight loading, unloading and storage in the seaports of the Russian Federation (stevedoring companies). FAS suspected the companies in fixing monopolistically high prices for cargo transshipment services. PTP case is the first in the list of nine cases. The decision and the order will be ready within 10 days.
Under Part 2 Article 14.31 of the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Violations, fixing and maintaining monopolistically high prices is punishable by an administrative fine from 1 to 15% of the income of the violator from selling goods (works, services) on the market where the violation occurred.
Article 10 of No. 135-FZ Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” of 26.07.2006 prohibits actions (omissions) of an economic entity with dominant position that leads or can lead to preventing, restricting, eliminating competition and (or) infringing the interests of other persons (economic entities) in the field of entrepreneurial activity, or an indefinite range of consumers, particularly, fixing, maintaining monopolistically high or low prices.
Cases upon signs of violating the antimonopoly law are opened against the following entities: “Murmansk Commercial seaport” JSC, “Novorossiisk Commercial Seaport” JSC, “First Container terminal” JSC, “Petrolesport” JSC, “Agrosphera” CJSC, “St Petersburg Container Terminal” CJSC, “Vostochnaya Stevedoring Company” Ltd., “Primorsky Commercial Port” Ltd., “Tuapse Commercial Seaport” PJSC.