Faulí-Oller, R., and J. Sandonís
The Singapore Economic Review – 61-5 (2016), 1550056

Paraules clau:: downstream mergers, two-part tariffs, wholesale prices


Resum: We consider a dominant upstream firm selling an input to several downstream firms through observable, non-discriminatory two-part tariff contracts. Downstream firms can alternatively buy the input from a less efficient source of supply. In this setting we analyze the relationship between the competitive effects of downstream mergers and the level of concentration at the upstream level. We show that a downstream merger leads to lower wholesale prices. This translates into lower final prices only when the upstream market is sufficiently concentrated. In this case, a downstream merger tends to be both procompetitive and profitable.