421B.7. Transactions permitted to meet lawful competition

1. Any wholesaler may advertise, offer to sell or sell cigarettes at a price made in good faith to meet the price of a competitor who is selling the same article at the cost to the competing wholesaler as defined by this chapter.  Any retailer may offer to sell or sell cigarettes at a price made in good faith to meet the price of a competitor who is selling at the cost to the said competing retailer as defined in this chapter.  The price of cigarettes offered for sale, or sold under the exceptions specified in section 421B.6 shall not be considered the price of a competitor and shall not be used as a basis for establishing prices below cost, nor shall the price established at a bankrupt or forced sale be considered the price of a competitor within the purview of this section.
2. In the absence of proof of the actual cost to a competing wholesaler or to a competing retailer, as the case may be, such cost shall be the lowest cost to wholesalers or the lowest cost to retailers, as the case may be, within the same trading area as determined by a cost survey made pursuant to section 421B.8, subsection 2