On March 18, 2014, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) announced it had fined four marine transport companies a total of 22,718,480,000 JPY ($227 million) for engaging in price-fixing activities and violating the Japanese Antimonopoly Act. The JFTC's action followed the cease and desist and surcharge payment orders that had been issued on Jan. 9, 2014. The fined companies are Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd., Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, AS and Nissan Motor Car Carrier Co., Ltd. Another subject of the investigation was Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd., but the company applied for leniency and was exempted from the administrative order and fine. According to the JFTC announcement, the violations included fixing freight rates, colluding to maintain the freight rate, and refraining from bidding against one another from January 2008 to September 2012 with regard to automobile shipments from Japan to North America, Europe and elsewhere.
The JFTC's announcement can be found here.
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