What the ACCC does

  • We educate businesses about illegal cartel activity.
  • We take reports about cartels and have extensive cartel investigation powers.
  • We take civil court action against businesses involved in cartels. 
  • We refer serious cartel conduct for criminal prosecution.

What the ACCC can't do

  • We cannot provide legal advice.

About cartels

A cartel exists when businesses agree to act together instead of competing with each other.

Cartels cheat consumers and other businesses. They restrict healthy economic growth, drive up prices and reduce innovation and investment.

A cartel:

  • is made up of independent businesses
  • attempts to increase members’ profits while maintaining the illusion of competition
  • can involve businesses of any size, from small, local businesses to large corporations
  • can be local, national or international.

Cartel conduct is illegal and is strictly prohibited. The laws about cartel conduct are in the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, which applies to all corporations in Australia, as well as individuals involved in the conduct.

If the businesses acting together are owned by the same company, this is not a cartel.

Types of cartel activity

There are 4 types of cartel activity.

Cartel activity is when 2 or more competitors agree to:

  • fix prices - when competitors agree on pricing instead of competing against each other
  • market share - when competitors agree to divide a market between themselves so they don’t have to compete
  • control output - when competitors agree to limit the amount or type of goods and services available
  • rig bids - when suppliers discuss and agree among themselves who should win a tender, and at what price.

Price fixing

Price fixing happens when competitors agree on pricing instead of competing against each other.

The agreement or understanding can be about:

  • prices for selling or buying goods or services
  • minimum prices
  • a formula for pricing or discounting goods and services
  • rebates, allowances or credit terms.

A common misconception

Sometimes, businesses independently change their prices to match their competitors’ prices.

This can create price changes that may look like price fixing. However, this is unlikely to be illegal as long as each business is making independent decisions about its prices.

Price fixing agreements may be formal or informal. They may be written, verbal, or just a signal, like a ‘wink and a nod’.

    Signs of possible price fixing include:

    • tenders or quotes are all much higher than expected
    • all suppliers raise prices at the same time and by more than what seems reasonable or can be explained by changes in the cost of inputs
    • prices submitted are much higher than previous tenders for similar products or services
    • prices drop markedly after a new supplier tenders. This may indicate that the existing suppliers have been colluding and the new supplier has forced them to compete.

    Example of price fixing

    A group of local builders decides to start meeting regularly at the pub. At their first meeting, they agree to increase their hourly rates to a certain amount for a trial period.

    This is price fixing.

    Market sharing

    Market sharing happens when competitors agree to divide a market between themselves so they don’t have to compete. They may agree to:

    • avoid producing each others’ goods or services
    • serve different geographical areas
    • divide contracts by value
    • assign customers to each competitor, with an understanding not to win each other’s customers.

    Bid rigging

    Bid rigging, also known as collusive tendering, happens when suppliers discuss and agree among themselves who should win a tender, and at what price.

    They may decide to take turns at winning tenders, giving each cartel member an agreed share of business. They may agree on a reward for the losing businesses, such as a guaranteed subcontracting role or a compensation payment.

    To make sure that the agreed bidder wins, other cartel members may:

    • not bid at all
    • bid above an agreed amount
    • include terms and conditions that they know the client won’t accept
    • withdraw a winning bid.

    Signs of possible bid rigging include:

    • regular suppliers decline to tender, for no obvious reason
    • bidders include unacceptable terms in their tenders
    • bidders sometimes bid low and sometimes bid high on the same type of product or service
    • the winning firm regularly subcontracts to competitors that submitted higher bids
    • one firm of professional advisers represents several of the businesses submitting tenders.

    Example of bid rigging

    Four foreign companies that supply rubber hosing agree to create a committee to allocate contracts in Australia. Each company appoints a member to the committee, which coordinates bidding and quoting. To hide its activity, the cartel uses codes, such as referring to the chosen winner as the ‘champion’.

    This is bid rigging and market sharing. Even though the cartel is made up of foreign companies meeting overseas, it can be prosecuted in Australia.

    Controlling output

    Output restrictions happen when competitors agree to limit the amount or type of goods and services available. They do this to increase prices or stop them falling.

    Businesses can independently reduce their output in response to demand, but it is illegal for competitors to agree to restrict output.

    Protect your business from cartel activity

    Businesses should take care to protect themselves from cartel activity among suppliers.

    Businesses should also be careful not to be drawn into a cartel.

    1. Avoid speaking to your competitors about customers and pricing, including bids for projects.
    2. Never agree or even try to agree with a competing business on the prices you or they will charge or what discounts will be offered including in tenders or quotes for jobs.
    3. Never limit the goods or services you or they supply or allocate customers or geographic areas.

    If you are:

    Read our guidance

    Penalties for cartel activity

    Cartel activity is prohibited under the law. It is prohibited as a civil breach. It is also a criminal offence for individuals and for businesses.

    Corporations can face fines and penalties for each criminal cartel offence or civil contravention.

    Individuals involved in a cartel can face:

    • jail for up to 10 years
    • fines for each criminal cartel offence
    • penalties for each civil contravention
    • injunctions to stop the conduct
    • orders barring them from managing corporations in future
    • community service orders.

    It's illegal for a corporation to protect its officers against loss, or to compensate or pay their legal costs or any financial penalty.

    See fines and penalties for specific penalty information.

    Our investigation powers

    The ACCC has extensive powers to investigate cartels. We can:

    • compel a person or company to provide information about a suspected breach of the law. This includes providing documents and giving verbal evidence
    • seek a warrant to search company offices and the homes of company officers
    • partner with the Australian Federal Police, which can collect evidence using phone taps and other surveillance devices.

    Apply for immunity

    If you’re involved in a cartel and you are the first to report the cartel to the ACCC and cooperate with our investigations, you may be eligible for immunity from civil proceedings and criminal prosecution.

    To apply for immunity, contact the ACCC Immunity Hotline:
    Phone: 02 9230 3894
    Email: cartelimmunity@accc.gov.au

    For more information, see:

    Report a cartel

    The ACCC takes cartels very seriously. If you are aware of or suspect cartel conduct, report it to us.

    Anyone can report possible cartel activity to the ACCC.

    Report cartel activity to the ACCC

    We have special arrangements for people who want to anonymously report cartel conduct to the ACCC.

    We use a secure third-party platform that protects your identity. You stay completely anonymous when giving us a tipoff or having ongoing contact with the ACCC.

    Report cartel activity to the ACCC and remain completely anonymous

    See also

    Exemptions

    Competition and Consumer Act 2010

    • Section 45AA Outline of the criminal offences and civil prohibitions relating to cartel conduct
    • Section 45AF Criminal offence for making a contract, arrangement or understanding containing a cartel provision
    • Section 45AG Criminal offence for giving effect to a contract, arrangement or understanding containing a cartel provision
    • Section 45AJ Civil prohibition for making a contract, arrangement or understanding containing a cartel provision
    • Section 45AK Civil prohibition for giving effect to a contract, arrangement or understanding containing a cartel provision
    • Section 51 Exemptions for certain anti-competitive arrangements

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