Two American companies, Ranis Company and Animal Science Products Inc., have taken legal action against six Chinese Vitamin C producers, accusing them of breaking the Anti-Trust Law of the US and California by jointly manipulating the VC prices and quantities on the global market. This is the first anti-monopoly lawsuit against Chinese exporters.

The plaintiffs claim substantive indemnity for their alleged losses.

China makes 60 percent of the VC output in the world. The demand for VC generally keeps at 100,000 tons on the global market currently. The total production of the 4 leading Chinese producers tops 60,000 tons, of which 80 percent goes to the overseas market.

The rising costs of raw materials, energy and transportation in China pushed prices of China's VC exports higher for the 2nd half of last year. However, Chinese VC exports are still priced cheaper than the average. And there is a robust demand from American food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical producers.

Welcome, one of the six Chinese businesses involved in the case, described the accusation "groundless" and said an American law firm will defend the company, according to a report by a Shanghai-based leading business newspaper. Jiangshan Pharmaceutical, another one of the six, has expressed its confidence in winning the dispute.

By People's Daily Online