The Japan Fair Trade Commission (the "JFTC") today announced that it issued Cease and Desist Orders and Surcharge Payment Orders to certain shipping companies regarding certain car carrier shipping trades, MOL said in its press release.
The JFTC suspected certain shipping companies, including Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. ("MOL"), of violating the Japanese Antimonopoly Act, and conducted on-site investigations on September 6, 2012. According to the JFTC's announcement, MOL was among the companies found to have violated Article 3 of the Antimonopoly Act (Unreasonable Restraint of Trade). But MOL was exempted from all of the administrative orders described above because MOL had already ceased the questioned conduct before the on-site investigation and the JFTC granted MOL's application under the JFTC's leniency program.