Court proceedings against four foreign marine hose manufacturers for allegedly giving effect to a global cartel agreement in Australia are underway following the service of documents.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission instituted proceedings in the Federal Court, Melbourne on June 1 2009.
The ACCC alleges that between 2000 and 2007 Bridgestone (Japan), Dunlop Oil & Marine (UK), Parker ITR (Italy) and Trelleborg (France) engaged in price fixing, market sharing and other anti-competitive conduct when supplying marine hose in contravention of the Trade Practices Act 1974.
Marine hose is used by the Australian oil industry in numerous offshore projects for transporting oil and other products between tankers and storage facilities.
The ACCC is seeking penalties, declarations that the respondents’ conduct contravened the Act, injunctive relief and costs.
On July 7 2009 Justice Finkelstein granted an order to serve Bridgestone and Trelleborg overseas. Since that time, both Trelleborg and Bridgestone have accepted service of the ACCC complaint. The next directions hearing has been scheduled for September 25 2009.
The ACCC's proceedings follow global enforcement action taken by multiple competition regulators including the Department of Justice USA, the Office of Fair Trading UK, the European Commission and Japan's Fair Trade Commission.
