Smurfit Kappa fined €124m after Italian cartel investigation

Cardboard box maker Smurfit Kappa Group (SKG) said on Tuesday its Italian unit has been fined €124 million as authorities in the country found that 50 paper and packaging groups had engaged in anti-competitive practices.

SKG said that it was “very disappointed” with the finding of the Italian Market Competitiveness Protection Authority (AGCM) “on many levels and will vigorously appeal this decision on both administrative and substantive grounds”.

The Italian authority raided the offices of Smurfit Kappa Italia in April 2017 as part of an investigation into alleged price-fixing across the paper and packaging industry.