Hong Kong

• Pages: 1-76

CHAPTER 10

HONG KONG

Hong Kong-3

CONTENTS

A. OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................ 7

1. General Policies Underlying Competition Laws ......................................... 7

a. Introduction......................................................................................... 7

b. Principal Objectives ............................................................................ 8

2. Overview of Applicable Statutes ................................................................. 8

a. Competition Ordinance ....................................................................... 8

b. Related Subsidiary Legislation ........................................................... 9

c. Guidelines and Policies Published by the

Competition Authorities ................................................................... 10

3. Overview of Structure, Independence, and Jurisdiction of Enforcement

Agencies .................................................................................................... 12

a. Competition Commission ................................................................. 12

b. Communications Authority (HKCA) ................................................ 13

4. Overview of Structure, Independence, and Jurisdiction of Judicial

Authorities ................................................................................................. 14

a. Competition Tribunal ........................................................................ 14

b. Court of First Instance ...................................................................... 15

c. Court of Appeal/Court of Final Appeal ............................................ 16

5. Current Antitrust Enforcement .................................................................. 16

B. SUBSTANTIVE LAW ............................................................................................ 19

1. General Elements of the Conduct Rules .................................................... 19

a. Undertaking ...................................................................................... 19

b. Object or Effect of Harming Competition ........................................ 21

c. A Relevant Market in Hong Kong .................................................... 23

d. Market Power .................................................................................... 23

2. Horizontal Agreements and Concerted Practices ...................................... 24

a. Specific Elements of the First Conduct Rule .................................... 24

(1) Agreement ................................................................................ 24

(2) Concerted Practice .................................................................... 25

(3) Decision of an Association of Undertakings ............................ 25

(4) Ancillary Restrictions ............................................................... 25

b. Cartel Enforcement ........................................................................... 26

(1) Serious Anticompetitive Conduct ............................................ 26

(2) Price Fixing .............................................................................. 27

(3) Market Sharing ......................................................................... 27

(4) Output Limitation ..................................................................... 28

(5) Bid Rigging .............................................................................. 29

c. Other Horizontal Agreements and Concerted Practices.................... 30

(1) Information Sharing ................................................................. 30

(2) Joint Buying ............................................................................. 31

(3) Group Boycotts ........................................................................ 31

(4) Trade Association Membership and Anticompetitive

Certification Practices .............................................................. 32