外资厂商配合中国奶粉市场"维稳"

Nestlé said yesterday that it was co-operating with an investigation launched by the Chinese government into possible competition violations in the mainland infant formula market, while local media reports say three other foreign baby milk producers are also being probed.

雀巢(Nestlé)昨日表示，正在配合中国政府发起的有关婴儿配方奶粉市场可能存在垄断行为的调查。中国国内媒体表示，还有三家外国婴儿奶粉生产商也受到调查。

Nestlé said only that it was “actively co-operating” with an investigation by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), which is charged with enforcing provisions of China's 2008 antitrust law.

雀巢表示，正在“积极配合”中国国家发改委(NDRC)发起的一项调查。中国国家发改委负责执行中国2008年《反垄断法》的条款。

The Beijing Times reported that Abbott Laboratories, Danone and Mead Johnson Nutrition were also involved in the probe, along with Wyeth Nutrition, now owned by Nestlé.

新京报(Beijing Times)报道称，雅培公司(Abbott Laboratories)、达能(Danone)、美赞臣(Mead Johnson Nutrition)以及雀巢旗下的惠氏(Wyeth Nutrition)正受到调查。

China's voracious demand for foreign-made milk has squeezed supplies around the globe, leading to rationing of sales in Hong Kong – and pushing up prices on the mainland, retail analysts said.

零售业分析师昨日表示，中国对外国产婴儿奶粉的旺盛需求导致了全球奶粉供应紧张，结果香港不得不限量购买奶粉——这推高了中国内地市场的奶粉价格。

Competition lawyers in China said the investigation appeared to relate to whether there was fixing of minimum prices for distributors.

中国的竞争事务律师表示，此次调查似乎与厂家是否串通商定面向经销商的最低价格有关。

The high price of imported infant formula in China has become a sensitive political issue for Beijing, after the 2008 baby milk tainting scandal that sent parents scurrying to foreign brands.

中国的进口配方奶粉价格较高，这已成为中国政府面对的一个敏感政治问题。由于2008年爆出了婴儿奶粉掺假丑闻，中国父母热衷购买外国品牌的奶粉。

“The government is trying to make safe baby formula more accessible to everyday Chinese,” said Shaun Rein, of China Market Research in Shanghai. “This is a way to get foreign manufacturers to rein in their price increases”.

上海中国市场研究集团(China Market Research)的雷小山(Shaun Rein)表示：“中国政府正努力使普通人更容易买到安全的婴儿配方奶粉。这是使外国奶粉生产商收敛涨价冲动的一个方式。”

The Beijing Times said news of the investigations emerged after Biostime International, a Hong Kong-listed infant nutrition manufacturer, said last week that its Guangzhou unit was being investigated by the NDRC under the anti-monopoly law.

《新京报》报道称，中国政府启动反垄断调查的消息传出之前，香港上市婴儿奶粉配方企业合生元国际(Biostime International)上周公告称，其广州公司正在接受中国国家发改委依据反垄断法律发起的调查。

“The main purpose of the investigation is in relation to an alleged violation of Article 14 of the Anti-Monopoly Law of the People's Republic of China by Biostime Guangzhou in managing the market sales prices at which the distributors and retail sales organisations sell our products,” the company said in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange.

合生元国际在提交给香港交易所的申报文件中表示，“发改委的调查主要源于，合生元广州公司是否违反《中国人民共和国反垄断法》第14条规定，对经销商和终端零售商销售合生元产品的市场销售价格进行了控制。”