Responding to Keeta’s request, the General Secretariat (SG) of the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (Cade) opened an administrative investigation on Tuesday, 31st, to investigate alleged anti-competitive conduct by 99Food. According to the complaint, there are 99 contractual clauses prohibiting restaurants from signing with the Chinese Keeta (from Meituan) and the Colombian Rappi.
Keeta sued Cade in August 2025 alleging alleged practices of abuse of a dominant position by 99Food in the Brazilian food market. marketplaces of delivery of food. The company alleges that the rival had signed contracts with several restaurants containing “ban clauses”, which prohibit 99Food’s partner restaurant from entering into any type of commercial relationship with Keeta and Rappi.
According to Keeta, the consideration offered by 99 for accepting the clause is the offer of significant amounts, “the payment of which has the simple purpose of making the partner restaurant veto Keeta”. This would be aggravated by the existence of provisions for contractual penalties in case of non-compliance with these obligations in an amount “corresponding to twice the amount invested”.
Furthermore, the company maintained that in some of the contracts signed, 99Food imposes “parity clauses with iFood”, which provide that the restaurant “is obliged to maintain prices on the 99Food platform that are equal to or lower than those practiced in its physical stores and on the Ifood platform, ensuring that they are always properly updated, especially when there is a change in values”.
In the end, Keeta asked for the imposition of a preventive measure “to protect competitiveness in the online food ordering intermediation market”.
Keeta and 99Food are rival Chinese companies. Keeta is a subsidiary of technology giant Meituan and recently arrived in Brazil with a billion-dollar investment plan to compete with iFood. 99, although it was founded in Brazil, was acquired by the Chinese group DiDi Chuxing in 2018 and is a delivery platform integrated into the 99 app, which also offers transport services. The fight between the two had an important chapter recently, when Chinese regulatory authorities announced, in early 2026, new guidelines to contain anti-competitive practices, prohibiting companies from offering subsidies, coupons and free deliveries, in an attempt to harm each other.
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With the initiation of the investigation, the case moves to the investigation phase, with analysis of contracts and collection of statements to investigate alleged anti-competitive practices. Associations and competitors can qualify as interested third parties. After the analysis, the SG must declare its conviction or dismissal, with the final decision made by Cade’s court.
In a statement, Keeta said that exclusivity clauses, especially those that prohibit establishments from working with specific new entrants, put fair competition in Brazil at risk, not just in the food sector. delivery of food, but across the entire economy, preventing free competition and restricting opportunities for everyone, including consumers and business partners.
“The segment of delivery of food urgently needs decisions that promote the open market and bring benefits to the entire ecosystem, enabling sustainable growth and innovation”, argued Keeta. And he argued that restaurants should have the freedom to diversify their sales channels to grow, which benefits workers and consumers.
In a note, 99Food states that the procedure adopted by Cade “follows the authority’s standard protocol” and considered the agency’s action to guarantee the entry and effective performance of new players to be positive, increasing competition in meal delivery.
Read the 99Food note:
The procedure adopted by CADE’s General Superintendent follows the Authority’s standard protocol in cases of this nature. The Authority’s actions are essential to guarantee conditions that allow new players, such as 99Food, to effectively operate, increasing competition and the diversity of offers to consumers, restaurants and delivery people.
