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Mexico Fines Grupo Infra and Praxair Nearly 800 Million Pesos for Anticompetitive Oxygen Contracts

The order targets contract barriers that limited rivals in a market vital to patient care.

Overview

  • Mexico’s antitrust authority sanctioned Grupo Infra with 723 million pesos and Praxair with 68 million pesos after finding exclusionary practices in medical‑oxygen supply.
  • The regulator concluded the companies used exclusivity clauses, automatic renewals, and punitive termination fees that blocked competitors from hospitals and private clinics.
  • The conduct spanned at least 2010 to 2023, a period that included the COVID‑19 surge when oxygen demand sharply increased.
  • The resolution requires removal of exclusivity and auto‑renewal terms, renunciation of penalties tied to those clauses, and appointment of a compliance officer and an independent auditor at each firm.
  • The authority said it will maintain ongoing market oversight, while the sanctioned companies retain the right to challenge the decision in specialized courts.