OREANDA-NEWS. November 28, 2012. The 9th Arbitration Appeal Court in Moscow confirmed legitimacy of the decision and determination of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) on a case against the companies of the group of persons comprising “Novolipetsk Integrated Iron-and-Steel Works” OJSC (“NLMK” OJSC) and “VIZ-Steel” Ltd. – the only manufacturers of electro-technical anisotropic steel (width – 0.23-0.5 mm) in Russia, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

On 30th July 2012, Moscow Arbitration Court pronounced legitimacy of the FAS decision and determination, challenged by “NLMK” OJSC and “VIZ-Steel” Ltd. The companies, however, appealed the judgment.

On 31st January 2011, the FAS Commission established that in August 2009 – December 2010 “NLMK” OJSC and “VIZ-Steel” Ltd. had fixed monopolistically high price for electro-technical anisotropic steel for domestic customers. Prices for Russian consumers exceeded the prices on foreign markets with more developed competitive environment by nearly 50%. Thus, actions of the NLMK group of persons could have resulted in restricting competition on the adjacent market of transformers.

Based on the case outcome, the FAS Commission issued a determination to the group of persons of “NLMK” OJSC to stop violating the antimonopoly law by fixing prices for electro-technical anisotropic steel (width – 0.23-0.5 mm) for domestic customers at the level not exceeding the average-weighted export prices of the previous month for similar products.

“The decisions’ and determination of the antimonopoly body is designed to create equal competitive conditions for Russian and foreign manufacturers of transformer equipment. Only these conditions can form the background for successful development of the Russians market to create preconditions”, emphasized the Head of FAS Department for Control over industry and Defence Complex, Maksim Ovchinnikov.