How to defend against potential collusion by your suppliers

Event Details

Date:

Tuesday, 26 July 2016

Time:

8:00 am - 10:00 am

Location:

Customs House

URL:

http://www.cvent.com/d/1fq51h/1Q

Event category(s):

Full Description:: You are invited to attend the UQ School of Economics 26th Colin Clark Memorial Lecture that is being held on Tuesday 26 July 2016.

Professor Leslie M. Marx from Duke University will deliver the keynote lecture on the topic: ‘How to defend against potential collusion by your suppliers’.

Many manufacturers require large numbers of inputs to produce their products. For example, Coca Cola purchases, among other things, liquid CO₂, artificial sweetener, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, vitamin C, cardboard boxes, and freight shipping. Unfortunately, price fixing conspiracies in every one of these products caused Coca Cola to pay too much for those inputs. What can a buyer do to defend itself in this situation? Strategies involve identifying vulnerable markets, carefully designing procurement strategies, and being attentive to the legal environment so that, should the worst happen, the buyer is in a position to recover damages.
This talk will discuss examples of collusive conduct among suppliers and strategies that buyers can use in defence.