EU fines capacitor producers 254 mln euros for taking part in cartel
21/03/2018 10:30
BRUSSELS, March 21 (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators
handed down a 254-million-euro ($311.94 million) fine to eight
capacitor producers on Wednesday for taking part in a cartel for
more than a decade.
The European Commission said Elna 6972.T , Hitachi Chemical
4217.T , Holy Stone, Matsuo, Nec Tokin, Nichicon 6996.T ,
Nippon Chemi-Con and Rubycon fixed prices for the supply of
aluminium and tantalum electrolytic capacitors.
Sanyo Electric Co MATEIH.UL and Panasonic Corp 6752.T
alerted the EU competition enforcer and avoided a fine.
Capacitors are used in electronic products such as
smartphones, home appliances, car electronic systems and wind
turbines.
"Our decision again makes clear that we will not tolerate
anti-competitive conduct that may affect European consumers,
even if anticompetitive contacts take place outside Europe,"
European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a
statement.
It said the cartel ran from 1998 to 2012, with meetings
taking place mainly in Japan but the operation was on a global
scale.
($1 = 0.8143 euros)
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee, editing by Robin Emmott)
((foo.yunchee@thomsonreuters.com; +32 2 287 6844; Reuters
Messaging: foo.yunchee.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))