Abstract

We use publicly available price data from the German cement industry to estimate the cartel-induced price increase. We apply two different comparator-based approaches—the “before-and-after” approach and the “difference-in-differences” approach—and especially study the impact of various assumptions on the transition period from the cartel period to the non-cartel period on the overcharge estimate. We find that the cement cartel led to price overcharges in a range from 20.3 to 26.5 percent, depending on model approach and model assumptions.

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