A series of produce buyers and consumers in the US are reported to have filed lawsuits in Miami, alleging banana price fixing by multinationals such as Chiquita, Dole and Fresh Del Monte.
According to a report in the Miami Herald, suspicions of banana price fixing in Europe have sparked “a rash of US class-action suits against the biggest names in bananas”. The claimants are alleging the corporations conspired to artificially raise the price of bananas in the US market.
“At least eight complaints have been lodged in US District Court in Miami against Chiquita Brands International, Dole Food Co, Fresh Del Monte Produce and Grupo Noboa,” said the article, “alleging the four companies and subsidiaries exchanged information in order to fix banana prices.
Seven produce buying companies and three consumers are said to have sued for overcharges since late July.
“The lawsuits allege the companies formed a cartel, exchanged information about prices and sales volumes, arranged to sell bananas at agreed-upon prices and reached accords to reduce production capacity,” said the Miami Herald.
The banana giants have rejected all allegations.
''We do believe that these lawsuits are without merit,'' said Mike Mitchell, spokesman for Chiquita. “We are contesting them vigorously.''
The lawsuits have been filed in response to revelations in June by Chiquita that some of its employees had shared information with competitors in Europe. The European Commission immediately launched a probe into possible price fixing by multinational banana distributors, which is ongoing and unlikely to end for some time..
On June 3, European anti-trust officials raided the European offices of Chiquita, Fyffes, Dole, Fresh Del Monte and other rival produce companies.
Chiquita was granted immunity from any fines by agreeing to cooperate with an anti-trust investigation carried out by the European Commission.
Michael Carter, Dole vice president and general counsel, dismissed the lawsuits as actions by ''the usual suspects of opportunistic lawyers'' and suggested they were ``triggered . . . by the disclosures relating to the European Commission investigation into alleged competition law violations in the European Union.''
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