Date : 2018-04-05

Catogery : All Categories

Japan’s shipping major Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line) pleaded guilty to criminal cartel conduct in Australia’s Federal Court on April 5, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said.

K Line’s plea follows an investigation by the ACCC and charges laid by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions in relation to cartel conduct concerning the international shipping of cars, trucks, and buses to Australia between July 2009 and September 2012.

ACCC informed that the matter will now proceed to sentencing and is next scheduled for a sentencing hearing in the Federal Court on November 15 and 16, 2018.

The cartel operated from at least February 1997 and affected vehicles transported to Australia by NYK and other shipping lines from locations in Asia, the US and Europe on behalf of major car manufacturers including Nissan, Suzuki, Honda, Toyota and Mazda.

The ACCC’s investigation into other alleged cartel participants is continuing.