The Competition Authority has fined tire manufacturers and distributors a total of 3.63 billion lira due to price coordination, practices restricting competition among dealers, and labor market violations.
According to the decision announced by the Board, the highest fine of 1.02 billion lira was imposed on Brisa. Goodyear was fined 672 million lira, and Continental received a fine of 397 million lira.
Price Coordination and Information Sharing Detected
The Authority identified violations including coordinated pricing among competitors and sharing of sensitive labor market information. The decision emphasized that these practices harmed competition.
The Board also reminded companies of new rules to be followed in dealer communications during the investigation. Accordingly, prices sent to dealer lists must be watermarked, announcements should not be shared en masse, and transactions must be conducted through a system or interface accessible by dealers with their own user accounts.
The statement also noted that manufacturers or suppliers must end sending bulk notifications simultaneously to many or all dealers. Such notifications should only be made through the relevant portal where each dealer can access with their own username and password.
Companies are required to document the implementation of these regulations within three months. The Authority stated it will monitor compliance with these obligations.
Two Separate Anti-Dumping Investigations Launched on Imports
With the decision, an anti-dumping investigation was initiated on passenger car tire imports from the Czech Republic, South Korea, Serbia, and Slovakia. The investigation was launched following an assessment that the domestic production sector suffered material economic harm.
This application was made by Petlas A.Ş. and Kocaeli Tire Industry A.Ş., with support from Sumitomo Rubber Ako Tire Industry A.Ş. According to the notice published in the Official Gazette, an examination was initiated regarding the alleged dumping effect.
The Board also evaluated an application from Kordsa Technical Textile A.Ş. and decided to open an anti-dumping investigation on nylon cord fabric imported from China and Vietnam, as well as polyester cord fabric sourced from China and Vietnam.
The investigations indicate that oversight of pricing and foreign trade practices in the automotive and tire supply chain has simultaneously tightened. The decisions brought both domestic competition issues and allegations of unfair competition in imported products to the forefront.
