The company and its former general manager, Jason Ellis, tried to "induce" eight other distributors and one overseas manufacturer into agreements to fix or raise prices for flat steel products.
He had previously pleaded guilty to and been convicted of two counts of inciting the obstruction of a Commonwealth official but was immediately released from his eight-month jail sentence on a good behaviour bond.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission , which brought the civil proceedings against BlueScope and Ellis in 2019, welcomed the fines. "This should serve as a strong warning to all businesses and individuals that attempting to fix prices with competitors will have very serious consequences, even if the attempt fails and they do not reach an agreement," ACCC Liza Carver said."It is important that penalties are sufficiently large to deter even large companies and their employees from breaching Australia's competition laws.
"Cartel conduct is illegal because it cheats Australians by increasing the prices consumers and business customers have to pay, and by restricting healthy economic growth. "If BlueScope had been successful in reaching an agreement to fix prices with its competitors, this would have reduced price competition and increased prices for flat steel products which are widely used in the construction, manufacturing, automotive and transport industries."
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