Six Japanese freight firms admit price-fixing: US

September 29, 2011 | 11:00

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Six Japanese freight forwarders have agreed to plead guilty for their roles in fixing prices on air cargo shipments from Japan to the United States, the US government said Wednesday.

The firms also pledged to pay criminal fines totaling $46.8 million after admitting they had fixed certain fees for freight forwarding services, the US Department of Justice said.

The department said charges were filed Wednesday in a US federal court in Washington against Kintetsu World Express Inc, Hankyu Hanshin Express Co. Ltd, Nippon Express Co. Ltd., Nissin Corporation, Nishi-Nippon Railroad Co. Ltd, and Vantec Corporation.

The six companies "engaged in a conspiracy to fix and impose certain freight forwarding service fees, including fuel surcharges and various security fees, charged to customers for services provided in connection with air freight forwarding shipments of cargo shipped by air from Japan to the United States," the department said.

The price-fixing occurred from about September 2002 until at least November 2007, it said.

The plea agreements are subject to court approval.

The Justice Department said these were the second round of charges filed as a result of its antitrust investigation of the freight forwarding industry.

"Including today's charges, 12 companies have agreed to plead guilty and nearly $100 million in criminal fines have been obtained as a result of the Antitrust Division's ongoing freight forwarding investigation," said Sharis Pozen, acting assistant attorney general.

On September 30, 2010, six other international freight forwarders agreed to plead guilty and to pay criminal fines totaling $50.27 million for price fixing between 2002 and 2007.

AFP

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