US ruling in vitamin C case 'unfair and improper'

A US court's decision in an antitrust case involving Chinese vitamin C makers is unfair and improper, Shen Danyang, spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, said on Tuesday.

Six Chinese vitamin C producers, including Hebei Welcome Pharmaceutical Co Ltd and Weisheng Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, were accused of acting as a cartel to fix prices and limit exports of raw vitamin C between 2001 and 2006.

The US District Court in Brooklyn ruled this month that Hebei Welcome Pharmaceutical, a subsidiary of North China Pharmaceutical Co, should pay $162 million in fines.

“The business behavior of related Chinese enterprises completely tallies with Chinese law and regulations. It's unreasonable that the US court penalizes Chinese companies for legal business operation in China,” Shen said.

“If the US doesn't correct its wrong decision, this international business dispute will bring harm to its own interests,” Shen added.