Finnish-owned retailers are driving Estonian food producers out of business by unfairly favouring imported Finnish products to local goods, according to a report in the daily newspaper Eesti Paevaleht.


The report, in an interview with an anonymous local businessman, explained that the so-called “Finnish club” of firms are gradually replacing locally produced food goods with imported Finnish equivalents. He added that Estonian food producers should cooperate more closely to avoid being caught out by unfair competition.


Arttu Laine, chairman of the “Finnish club”, insisted that the claim is an exaggeration of the market situations, and said that there is no tacit understanding between Finnish retailers and producers.