Ezi ziindaba ezibangele ukuba kuphume inki eninzi, ngoDisemba ophelileyo isigebenga Altria (Marlboro) ibhengeze ukufunyanwa kwe I-35% yezabelo ukusuka kumenzi we-e-cigarette Juul ngesixa-mali se-13 yeebhiliyoni zeerandi. Nangona kunjalo, akukho nto iqinisekileyo okwangoku kuba abalawuli kuya kufuneka batsho ukuba ngaba eli lungiselelo kufuneka lichatshazelwe ngumthetho wokungathembeki.
INGXAKI KWABAPHATHISWA OLAWULO
I-Antitrust ? Kodwa sithetha ngantoni! Umthetho we-antitrust ngumthetho ojolise ekunciphiseni okanye ekunciphiseni ukugxila kwezoqoqosho. Isenokuchazwa njengomthetho lowo « uyachasa uthintelo lokhuphiswano lwasimahla olwenziwa ngamaqela abavelisi abafuna ukuxhamla kulawulo olulodwa ».
Kwaye le yingxaki namhlanje ejongene nesivumelwano phakathi kwe-Altria kunye neJuul enika umnini we-Marlboro i-35% yezabelo zomenzi we-e-cigarette ngokuchasene ne-13 yeebhiliyoni zeedola. Abalawuli baya kufuneka bathathe isigqibo sokuba ngaba iqela le-Altria lingabamba i-35% yamalungelo okuvota eJuul Labs.
Enyanisweni, ngokutsho kwamagqwetha, eli lungiselelo liphakamisa iingxaki ezinxulumene nemithetho ye-antitrust, nangona kunjalo isigqibo samva nje I-Altria iyeke ukuthengisa "i-cigalilike" iimveliso zomphunga.
Isigqibo sesigebenga secuba i-Altria Group Inc. sokufumana inxalenye encinci kwi-e-cigarette yokuqala iJuul Labs Inc., kamsinya nje emva kokulahla iimveliso zayo "ekhuphisanayo", inokubangela ingxaki kulawulo lokhuphiswano lwase-US.
Ukuba isivumelwano sisayinwe nge-20 kaDisemba, i-Altria kunye noJuul ngoku balindele ukuvunywa kwe-antitrust ngaphambi kokuba baguqule izabelo zabo kukhuseleko lokuvota. Ukubonwa ukuba le "ngxaki" ayizukuthintela i-Altria kutyalo-mali kwiqela elinolawulo lwemarike yevape eUnited States.
