TOKYO - Japan's Fair Trade Commission has conducted on-site inspections of six major food manufacturers over suspicions they formed a cartel to coordinate ice cream prices, with authorities investigating whether the companies exchanged information and unfairly adjusted planned retail price increases in response to rising costs.
The six companies are suspected of exchanging information through meetings, emails, and other communications over the past several years and unfairly coordinating the scale of increases in recommended retail prices for ice cream products.
The Fair Trade Commission is also investigating whether the companies may have taken advantage of rising prices across the broader economy to adjust ice cream prices in concert. Authorities plan to continue examining the extent of the alleged conduct and determine the facts surrounding the case.
Source: テレ東BIZ
