The Bundeskartellamt concluded an administrative proceeding against Aurubis, Wieland, and Schwermetall, focusing on their joint venture Schwermetall in the production of copper products. The companies had provisions in their partnership agreement that required prior consent for changes in product mix, customer portfolio, and new alloys at Schwermetall.

The Bundeskartellamt found that these provisions could have allowed each partner to hinder competition between them by preventing the production of certain alloys for the other partner. Additionally, the partners could have impeded competition by restricting Schwermetall from supplying certain alloys to third parties, potentially harming their business relationships.

As a result of the investigation, Aurubis and Wieland voluntarily removed the restrictive provisions from their agreement. They committed not to influence Schwermetall's production and supply decisions, ensuring the company's independence and profitability. This allows Schwermetall to freely decide on its product offerings and customer relationships in the future.

The Bundeskartellamt made these commitments binding under Section 32b GWB and closed the proceeding, ensuring a more competitive environment in the copper production sector.

Aurubis, based in Hamburg, is a copper producer and recycler, while Wieland, headquartered in Ulm, focuses on producing copper and copper alloy semi-finished products. Schwermetall, based in Stolberg, operates a cast house and rolling mill, providing pre-rolled copper strip used in various downstream applications by the partners and third-party companies.