From April 2013 to October 2018, the Bureau’s auto parts bid‑rigging investigation resulted in 13 guilty pleas and more than $86 million in fines, including several of the largest bid‑rigging fines ever imposed by the courts in Canada.
The Bureau began investigating in December 2009 after it learned of anticompetitive activity in the auto parts industry by way of its Immunity Program. The investigation also benefitted from the cooperation of a number of companies under the Bureau’s Leniency Program.
The investigation related to a series of international conspiracies and bid‑rigging agreements among various auto parts suppliers. The parts were used in vehicles manufactured and sold in Canada and elsewhere. The Bureau cooperated closely with its international counterparts throughout its investigations to ensure that the participants were brought to justice and paid for their crimes.
Date | Company | Motor vehicle component | Fine |
---|---|---|---|
April 4, 2013 | Furukawa | Electrical boxes | $5 million |
April 18, 2013 | Yazaki Corporation | Wire harnesses | $30 million: largest fine imposed by a court in Canada for a bid‑rigging offence |
July 12, 2013 | JTEKT Corporation | Automotive wheel hub unit bearings | $5 million |
January 30, 2014 | NSK Ltd. | Automotive wheel hub unit bearings | $4.5 million |
February 20, 2014 | Panasonic | Switches and sensors | $4.7 million |
August 20, 2014 | DENSO Corporation | Body electronic control units | $2.45 million |
December 11, 2014 | Yamashita Rubber Co. | Anti‑vibration components and systems | $4.5 million |
December 9, 2015 | Toyo Tire | Anti‑vibration components and systems | $1.7 million |
April 1, 2016 | Showa Corporation | Electric power steering gears | $13 million |
July 20, 2016 | Nishikawa Rubber Co., Ltd. | Body sealing products | US$130 million: Fine imposed by U.S. court addresses anticompetitive conduct in both the U.S. and Canada. |
April 25, 2017 | Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | Supply of alternators and ignition coils | $13.4 million: second largest fine imposed by a court in Canada for a bid‑rigging offence |
December 13, 2017 | NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd. | Spark plugs | $550,000 |
October 19, 2018. | INOAC Corporation | Plastic panel products | $1.3 million |