Competition watchdog says construction chemicals probe ‘no longer priority’

The UK’s competition watchdog has closed its probe into suspicious activity in the supply of chemicals for use in the construction industry. 

The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) inquiry had potential anti-competitive conduct relating to the supply of chemical admixtures and additives for use in concrete, cement, mortars and related construction products.

But the body said yesterday it has closed its investigation, explaining that it “no longer constitutes an administrative priority”.

It stressed that the decision “does not amount to a statement or finding as to whether the parties to the investigation have infringed competition law, nor should any inference be made to that effect”.

It also emphasised that the decision did not prevent the CMA from opening up an investigation in the future “if its priorities change or if it receives new evidence which changes its prioritisation assessment”.

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The CMA launched the investigation in October 2023 and last April won a High Court case to support its right to search a domestic property as part of the investigation.

No parties were ever named in the investigation.

The watchdog’s decision to abandon the probe came alongside reports that it plans to cut staff numbers by 10% following a “budgeting error” and that its chair, Marcus Bokkerink, was being pushed out by the government.