On April 7, the Latvian competition authority decided to launch an additional investigation into the acquisition of decisive influence by Circle K Latvia over the assets of Astarte-Nafta, specifically its network of fuel stations in Latvia. This acquisition involves 26 fuel stations owned by Astarte-Nafta.

Circle K Latvia is primarily engaged in the retail of fuel, autogas, oil products, snacks, hot beverages, and essential goods, as well as the design, construction, and operation of fuel stations. It is one of the leading fuel retailers in Latvia, operating a network of 72 full-service and automatic stations, along with franchise operations.

Astarte-Nafta, the other party in the merger, also focuses on fuel retail and wholesale, offering autogas, snacks, hot beverages, and essential goods at its stations.

The merger could potentially affect competition in several local markets for gasoline, diesel, and autogas in the administrative territories of Tukums, Jelgava, Jēkabpils, Limbaži, and Dobele, as well as surrounding areas. It may also impact fuel retail and wholesale across Latvia, including the sale of goods at fuel stations.

To thoroughly assess the merger's impact on competition in specific local markets and in Latvia as a whole, the competition authority has decided to conduct an in-depth investigation based on the first part of Article 16 of the Competition Law.

Market participants or other interested parties wishing to provide their views on the merger's impact on competition are invited to contact senior expert Vita Ozeri or economist Elija Ķerpi by May 15, 2025.