Turkish competition board investigating Ferrero over hazelnuts

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) – Türkiye has opened an investigation into the Ferrero Group and its subsidiaries for their actions in all phases in the hazelnut market, from production to purchase and exports.

The Turkish Competition Authority has completed a preliminary investigation related to the breach of the law on the protection of competition, the authority said on Tuesday.

In a preliminary phase, the authority found evidence serious enough for opening an investigation into Ferrero, an Italian multinational headquartered in Luxembourg and the world’s second-biggest chocolate producer and confectionery company.

Türkiye, the world’s largest hazelnut producer, exported 344,379 tons of hazelnuts to 122 countries in 2021, according to the Black Sea Hazelnut and Hazelnut Products Exporters' Union.