In this paper we investigate the prevalence and impact of cartels in the European building industry during the latter half of the 20th century. By examining how cartels within the building materials sector operated and influenced market dynamics, this research aims to shed light on how such competitive restrictions have affected the cost and availability of building materials, thereby shaping construction projects and broader societal development.
To construct a comprehensive picture of cartels in the building materials industry, we integrate data from multiple sources. The Swedish cartel register provides insight into how Swedish cartels collaborated with foreign companies, while reports by Swedish competition authorities from 1957 to 1991 offer analyses of international cartel activity for specific products. The database of international cartels set in the project data Understanding International Cartels in the 20th Century: Tracing Size and Scope will be a starting point for finding the cartels. Many international building materials cartels have also been investigated by the European Commission, whose reports, published since 1964, provide further data on the scope and function of these cartels.
Recent advances in cartel research have addressed large-scale questions of collaboration at both national and international levels. This project builds on these insights to assess the influence of cartels on an entire sector’s development. While past studies often focused on individual industries or commodity-specific collaborations, our research expands this view by exploring how companies within the building industry collaborated, competed, and responded to market forces. This research is particularly relevant in an era marked by European integration and globalization, where understanding historical patterns of industry cooperation and competition provides valuable context for addressing present and future challenges in these areas.