Chinese Magnesite Producers Antitrust Class Action Complaint Dismissed

On July 24, 2014, the district court in Animal Sci. Prod., Inc. et al. v. China Nat'l Metals & Minerals Imp. and Exp. Corp. et al., Case No. 2:05-cv-04376 (D.N.J.), dismissed direct purchaser plaintiff's Amended Complaint without prejudice in favor of magnesite producers accused of engaging in a price fixing scheme for magnesite and magnesite products sold in the United States.  The court found that the direct purchaser plaintiff, Resco, did not plausibly plead facts to establish antitrust standing as a direct purchaser.  The analysis was complicated by the fact that Resco inherited its claim from an assignor, Possehl (US), and the Amended Complaint contained no facts supporting the allegation that Possehl made direct purchases from the defendants.  The court recommended amending the complaint to identify specific transactions and the governing agreements for those purchases.