A PYMNTS Company

Autoliv to pay $14.5 M for seat belt price-fixing; Yazaki exec agrees to 14 months in prison

By  |  June 7, 2012

The U.S. DOJ has announced two separate guilty pleas in its ongoing probe of anticompetitive conduct in the automotive parts industry.

    Get the Full Story

    Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.

    yesSubscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today.

    By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

    Autoliv, a Swedish company, will plead guilty to fixing prices of occupant safety system parts to two automobile manufacturers. From March 2006 until February 2011, Autoliv engaged in a price-fixing conspiracy for seatbelts, airbags and steering wheels. The second conspiracy was for seatbelts, from May 2008 to February 2011. Autoliv will pay a $14.5 million fine for its actions, and it will cooperate with the DOJ in its ongoing investigation.

    Kazuhiko Kashimoto, an executive of Japan-based Yazaki Corporation, will plead guilty for his role in a conspiracy to fix the prices of automotive wire hireness and related products from January 2000 to September 2007. Kashimoto will serve 14 months in a U.S. prison, pay a $20,000, and cooperate with the DOJ.

    Full content: DOJ Press Release

     

    Related content: Design and Implementation of Screens and Their Use by Defendants  (Rosa Abrantes-Metz, Global Economics Group, NYU Stern School of Business)

     

    Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.