The European Commission (EC) has published its full decision accepting commitments offered by US-based global producer of glass Corning in connection with an abuse investigation into anticompetitive exclusive agreements for the supply of Alkali-aluminosilicate glass, a special type of glass mainly used as cover glass in smartphones and other handheld electronic devices.
In November 2024, the EC opened a formal investigation over concerns that Corning may have distorted competition in the worldwide market for Alkali-AS Glass between 2016 and 2021. Subsequently, the agency preliminarily found that Corning may have abused its dominant position in the market for Alkali-AS Glass by concluding exclusive supply agreements with manufacturers (Original Equipment Manufacturers) of handheld electronic devices and with companies that process raw glass (finishers) such as Alkali-AS Glass.
To address the concerns, the popular gorilla glass maker offered to waive restrictive conditions and sourcing requirements included in agreements with finishers and OEMs. The commitments cap sourcing requirements at 50% of a finisher’s or OEM’s annual demand, prohibit reporting obligations on rival bids or purchases, and restrict certain rebate structures.
The Brussels-based agency in July accepted the commitments and made them legally binding on Corning for nine years, and applied worldwide. The commitments apply globally but exclude Corning’s agreements with Apple and certain US government contracts.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/competition/antitrust/cases1/202537/AT_40728_2586.pdf
