Five major berry firms deny Finnish cartel allegations after competition watchdog proposes €9m in fines

Finland’s Competition and Consumer Authority (KKV) has accused five leading berry industry firms of operating a purchasing and information-sharing cartel, proposing fines totalling over €9 million, though one company avoided penalties by cooperating with investigators.

The firms named in the alleged cartel are Polarica, Kiantama, Marja Bothnia Berries, Arctic International, and Kaskein Marja. All have denied wrongdoing, with Polarica—the Nordic market leader—calling the claims “unfounded” in a statement. The company argued that the KKV’s position reflects only the authority’s view and that no evidence supports the competition law violations. Polarica noted that Sweden’s competition watchdog had previously dropped a similar investigation without further action. The KKV has proposed a €5.9 million fine for Polarica, the highest among the accused.

Marja Bothnia Berries, based in Mustasaari, also rejected the allegations, with CEO Tommy Gustafsson calling it “strange” that Finnish authorities interpret long-standing industry transparency as a serious violation, while Swedish regulators deemed equivalent practices standard. The company denied ever coordinating sales prices or strategies with competitors and described its market data exchanges as minimal and non-confidential. The KKV seeks a €1.8 million fine from Marja Bothnia Berries.

Kiantama, headquartered in Suomussalmi, avoided penalties after actively assisting the KKV’s investigation. CEO Janne Piikivi confirmed the company’s full cooperation, including providing information and revising internal practices. Without this cooperation, Kiantama would have faced a €1.4 million fine. The KKV initiated on-site inspections at the firms in September 2023.

The proposed fines now move to the Market Court for final decision. Under Finnish law, cartel penalties can reach up to 10% of a company’s annual turnover.