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Japanese Company Pleads Guilty to Price Fixing
Ottawa, — The Competition Bureau announced today that Ibiden Co. Ltd. of Japan has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a conspiracy to fix the price of isostatic graphite, a fine grain carbon product.
"Ibiden's significant and early cooperation in connection with this inquiry assisted the Commissioner's investigation of other individuals and corporations for violations of the Competition Act," said Denyse MacKenzie, Senior Deputy Commissioner of Competition. "In the circumstances, we recommended lenient treatment, despite the serious nature of the offence."
The Federal Court of Canada has fined the company $50,000. During the conspiracy, approximately $300,000 (US) of Ibiden's isostatic graphite block were sold in Canada.
Ibiden is the third company to plead guilty in relation to anti-competitive conduct concerning the supply and sale in Canada of semi-machined and block isostatic graphite. In 2003, Toyo Tanso USA Inc. pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to maintain prices and was fined $200,000. In 2001, Carbone of America Industries Corp. pleaded guilty to fixing prices and was fined $300,000. Ibiden's conviction wraps up the Bureau's investigation into the isostatic graphite conspiracy.
Isostatic graphite is commonly used in electrical discharge machinery to make dies for the continuous casting of metals and in the manufacture of semi-conductor chips and other mechanical applications.
The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency. We contribute to the prosperity of Canadians by protecting and promoting competitive markets and enabling informed consumer choice.
Ibiden Co. Ltd. - Indictment
(PDF: 46 KB)
Ibiden Co. Ltd. - Statement of Admissions
(PDF: 227 KB)
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