澳大利亚最大的几家蛋类生产商被监管机构指控共谋减少行业竞争，可能在全国通胀高企的情况下维持高价。
Some of Australia’s biggest egg producers have been accused by the regulator of working together to reduce competition in the sector, potentially keeping prices elevated at a time of high inflation across the economy.
澳大利亚竞争与消费者委员会对澳大利亚最大蛋类供应商Sunny Queen Pty Ltd.及另外11家生产商提起民事诉讼，指控他们通过协调商业决策“以一种可能多年显著减少竞争的方式”违反法律。
The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission started civil proceedings against Sunny Queen Pty Ltd., Australia’s biggest egg supplier, and 11 other producers, alleging that they breached the law by coordinating on business decisions “in a way that likely substantially reduced competition for many years.”
“我们的调查发现，蛋类行业存在据称广泛的反竞争行为，我们认为这种行为自2020年至少以来一直影响着澳大利亚消费者的鸡蛋供应，”澳大利亚竞争与消费者委员会主席吉娜·卡斯-戈特利布在周二的声明中表示。”此据称行为极其严重，这就是我们启动联邦法院诉讼的原因。”根据澳大利亚竞争与消费者委员会的说法，Sunny Queen全国供应约三分之一的零售鸡蛋。该养殖集团在周二的声明中否认了这些指控，并表示将抗辩诉讼，同时称其在调查期间已完全配合澳大利亚竞争与消费者委员会。
“Our investigation has uncovered alleged widespread anti-competitive conduct in the egg industry that we allege has impacted the supply of eggs to Australian consumers since at least 2020,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said in a statement on Tuesday. “This alleged conduct is extremely serious, which is why we have commenced this Federal Court action.”Sunny Queen supplies about a third of all retail eggs nationally, according to the ACCC. The farming group in a statement on Tuesday denied the allegations and said it intended to defend the proceedings, adding that it had fully cooperated with the ACCC during the investigation.
澳大利亚目前正处于生活成本危机之中，尽管澳大利亚储备银行多次加息以遏制价格上涨，但8月份核心通胀率仍为3.6%。澳大利亚竞争与消费者委员会表示，鸡蛋是消费者的日常必需品，人均年消费量平均为250个。
Australia is currently in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis with core inflation sitting at 3.6% in August, despite multiple rate rises by the Reserve Bank designed to stall price increases. Eggs are a consumer staple, the ACCC said, with the average person eating 250 a year on average.