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“We
accept with sincerity the fact that our company was raided, and
we promise to cooperate fully with the Japan Fair Trade
Commission investigation,” it said.
Five other companies, Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Morinaga &
Co., Lotte Co., Ezaki Glico Co. and Akagi Nyugo Co., issued
similar statements. It wasn't clear when the raids took place.
In addition to ice cream, the companies make various food items,
desserts and confectionery goods, including pudding, chocolate
bars and chewing gum, sold widely at supermarkets and
convenience stores nationwide.
Japanese media called it “a price cartel.” Top managers at the
companies were in touch with each other over several years to
coordinate raising ice cream prices by 10 yen (6 U.S. cents),
for instance, as well as the timing of such hikes, the reports
said.
Japanese antitrust officials periodically make high-profile
raids to protect fair competition, such as one on Google,
instructing it to fix its advertising search restrictions
allegedly affecting Yahoo in the country.
They were also involved in an investigation in 2022, carried out
with prosecutors, of major advertising company Dentsu, as part
of a widespread investigation into corruption related to the
2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
In the latest case, the commission hasn't commented. But
policing ice cream makers for potential pricing violations
appears to be part of its routine.
The commission’s website has an example of an ice cream maker
refusing to distribute products to retailers unless they agreed
to a certain suggested price, complete with colorful manga-like
illustrations.
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