Salmon producers deny price-fixing in Tesco collusion claim.
Salmon producers named in a High Court claim by Tesco have denied colluding to raise prices for farmed Atlantic salmon, according to defense filings reported by Law360 on 28 October 2025.
Bremnes Seashore, Grieg Seafood and Sjór argued in an 10 October filing that weekly output of Norwegian farmed salmon is driven by environmental and biological factors, limiting any producer’s ability to adjust short-term supply.
They said the market is fragmented with diverse buyers, and that any information exchanges either concerned data that was not commercially sensitive or were part of lawful negotiations in a volatile spot market. The filing stated that any information on a particular deal would become outdated quickly and would not reliably indicate subsequent prices.
Tesco alleges that the companies, together with Cermaq, Lerøy, Scottish Sea Farms and SalMar, shared prices, volumes, capacity and other price-setting factors for sales of fresh, whole and gutted salmon, aiming to reduce uncertainty in spot sales into the European Union. The retailer points to an ongoing European Commission investigation covering the period around 2011 to 2019. The defense notes the probe remains open and that it is not known whether there will be an infringement decision or its scope.
SalMar, in a separate 10 October filing, denied collusion and said any exchanges occurred in legitimate commercial contexts without an anticompetitive object. Cermaq said price effects were unlikely given the product’s short shelf life and fluid pricing. The defendants also contend that any loss claimed by Tesco, which they deny, would have been passed on by the retailer.
Tesco’s case follows similar claims lodged in the Competition Appeal Tribunal in February 2024 by Asda, Iceland, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Aldi, Co-op and Ocado, alleging that exchanges among 13 seafood businesses inflated salmon prices in the UK, the EEA and globally.
The tribunal declined in March to transfer the case to Norway, finding the UK courts the appropriate forum. A separate consumer class action valued at £382 million is also pending at the tribunal.
The case is Tesco Stores Ltd. and others v. Cermaq Group AS and others, case number CP-2025-000002, in the High Court of Justice of England and Wales.
