9610050

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
BEFORE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

COMMISSIONERS:
Robert Pitofsky, Chairman
Sheila F. Anthony
Mozelle W. Thompson
Orson Swindle
Thomas B. Leary

In the Matter of

McCormick & Company, Incorporated, a corporation.

DOCKET NO. C-3939

DECISION AND ORDER

The Federal Trade Commission ("Commission"), having initiated an investigation of certain acts and practices of McCormick & Company, Incorporated and the respondent having been furnished thereafter with a copy of a draft of complaint which the Bureau of Competition proposed to present to the Commission for its consideration and which, if issued by the Commission, would charge the respondent with violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act and the Robinson-Patman Act Amendments to the Clayton Act; and

The respondent and counsel for the Commission having thereafter executed an Agreement Containing Consent Order, an admission by respondent of all the jurisdictional facts set forth in the aforesaid draft of complaint, a statement that the signing of said agreement is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission by respondent that the law has been violated as alleged in such complaint, and waivers and other provisions as required by the Commission's Rules; and

The Commission having thereafter considered the matter and having determined that it had reason to believe that the respondent has violated the said Acts, and that a complaint should issue stating its charges in that respect, and having thereupon accepted the executed consent agreement and placed such agreement on the public record for a period of thirty (30) days, and having duly considered the comment filed thereafter by an interested person pursuant to Section 2.34 of its Rules, now in further conformity with the procedure described in Section 2.34 of its Rules, the Commission hereby issues its complaint, makes the following jurisdictional findings and enters the following order:

1. McCormick & Company, Incorporated., is a corporation organized, existing, and doing business under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Maryland, with its principal office and place of business at 18 Loveton Circle, Sparks, Maryland 21152.
 
2. The Federal Trade Commission has jurisdiction of the subject matter of this proceeding and of the respondent, and the proceeding is in the public interest.

ORDER

I.

FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS ORDER, the following definitions shall apply:

A. "McCormick" or "Respondent" means McCormick & Company, Incorporated, its directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives, predecessors, successors, assigns, direct and indirect parents, subsidiaries, divisions, groups, joint ventures and affiliates controlled by or under common control with McCormick, and the respective directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives, successors, and assigns of each.
 
B. "Product" means any spice, seasoning, sauce or gravy mix, marinade sauce, spice blend, meat tenderizer, monosodium glutamate, seasoning sold with cooking bags, or other product used to season or flavor foods, packaged for retail sale to consumers; provided, however, that "Product" does not include products that are packaged for sale to food service or industrial customers.
 
C. "Purchaser" means any person or entity that purchases McCormick Products for resale.
 
D. "Net Price" means the list price of McCormick Products less advances, allowances, discounts, rebates, deductions, free goods and other financial benefits provided by McCormick and related to such products.
 
E. "Commission" means the Federal Trade Commission.

II.

IT IS ORDERED that Respondent, in connection with the sale of Products in commerce, as "commerce" is defined in the Clayton Act, shall cease and desist from discriminating, within the meaning of Section 2(a) of the Robinson Patman Act amendments to the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. § 13(a), in the price of any Product of like grade and quality by selling such Product to any Purchaser at a Net Price higher than the Net Price charged to any competing Purchaser where the effect of such discrimination may be substantially to lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly in any line of commerce or to injure, destroy, or prevent competition.

PROVIDED, that nothing herein shall prohibit respondent from discriminating in price where to do so would be lawful by reason of any of the defenses established in Sections 2(a) or (b) of the Robinson Patman Act amendments to the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 13(a) or (b).

III.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that for each instance in which Respondent wishes to avail itself of the meeting competition defense as set forth in Section 2(b) of the Robinson Patman Act amendments to the Clayton Act, 15 U.S.C. § 13(b), Respondent, for a period of ten (10) years from the date this Order becomes final, shall contemporaneously document all information on which it bases its entitlement to the defense, within the meaning of such provision. For each such instance for which Respondent wishes to avail itself of the meeting competition defense, Respondent shall retain such documentation in its files for five (5) years after the lower price made to meet competition is no longer effective. Neither the presence nor absence of documentation of any specific information shall in itself be deemed to be dispositive of Respondent's compliance with Part II of this Order.

IV.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Respondent shall, within sixty (60) days after service upon it of this Order, distribute a copy of this Order to each of its operating divisions involved in the sale of any Product to any Purchaser and to all current officers, employees, brokers, and agents of these divisions; and shall distribute a copy of this Order to any officer, employee, broker, or agent of these divisions within thirty (30) days of the commencement of such person's employment or affiliation with any such division.

V.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Respondent shall notify the Commission at least thirty (30) days prior to any proposed change in the Respondent which may affect compliance obligations arising out of the Order, such as dissolution, assignment or sale resulting in the emergence of a successor corporation, the creation or dissolution of subsidiaries, or any other such change.

VI.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Respondent shall, within sixty (60) days after this Order becomes final, and thereafter annually for a period of five (5) years on the anniversary date of the Order, and at such other times as the Commission may by written notice to respondent require, file with the Commission a written report verified by an officer of Respondent setting forth in detail the manner and form in which Respondent has complied and is complying with this Order.

VII.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this Order shall terminate on April 27, 2020.

By the Commission, Commissioner Swindle and Commissioner Leary dissenting.

Donald S. Clark
Secretary

SEAL:

ISSUED: April 27, 2000

Attachments:
 
Statement of Chairman Pitofsky, Commissioner Anthony, and Commissioner Thompson
 
Dissenting Statement of Commissioner Swindle and Commissioner Leary