British American Tobacco has made a US$452 million bid to take over one of Colombia’s largest cigarette makers just months after a similar deal with BAT’s US rival, Philip Morris, collapsed under the weight of antitrust concerns.

New competition authorities face many hurdles in establishing themselves as effective enforcers, not least attracting and retaining expert staff. Rachel Bull in The Hague

Colombia’s antitrust authority, the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce, and the country's Communications Ministry have dropped their investigations of telecoms business Comcel, the local subsidiary of Mexico-based América Móvil.

Colombia's antitrust authority has fined two credit card companies and 18 banks almost US$8 million for failing to honour commitments made in the settlement of an earlier price-fixing investigation.

Colombia’s government has introduced a new competition law, which formally establishes the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC) as the country’s competition authority. 

Tobacco company Philip Morris is acquiring Productora Tabacalera de Colombia for US$452 million.

Mexican soft drink bottler Coca-Cola Femsa and The Coca-Cola Company yesterday completed the acquisition of the Agua Brisa bottled water business from two of SAB Miller's Colombian subsidiaries for US$92 million, following approval earlier this month by Colombia's antitrust authority.