The High Court of Australia today found that price fixing agreements entered into between Air New Zealand Ltd (Air NZ), PT Garuda Indonesia Ltd (Garuda), and other international airlines, which occurred between 2002 and 2006, breached Australia’s competition law.
“This is a significant win for the ACCC in the long-running, highly contested air cargo cartel proceedings,” ACCC Commissioner Sarah Court said.
The Federal Court has dismissed proceedings brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission against electrical cable manufacturers and wholesalers, and their executives for alleged cartel conduct.
The Federal Court has imposed multi-million dollar penalties on Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) and Macquarie Bank Ltd (Macquarie) for attempted cartel conduct after action by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Following the filing of joint statements of facts and submissions by the parties, Justice Wigney imposed penalties of:
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has today taken proceedings on a consent basis against Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) and Macquarie Bank Limited (Macquarie) in relation to alleged attempts to engage in cartel conduct.
Following cooperation by ANZ and Macquarie, the parties have agreed on the following facts to be presented to the Federal Court for its consideration:
Criminal charges have been laid against Japanese-based company Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K-Line) in relation to alleged cartel conduct concerning the international shipping of cars, trucks, and buses to Australia between July 2009 and September 2012.
The matter was before the Downing Centre Local Court for a first mention today, 15 November 2016.
This is the second matter in which criminal charges have been laid against a corporation under the criminal cartel provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.
ACCC Chairman Rod Sims delivers his annual address to the Law Council of Australia's Competition and Consumer Workshop. Mr Sims discusses key competition cases and the ACCC's recent record on merger reviews. He also reports that market studies are now a core part of the ACCC's work.
The Federal Court has found that an Italian corporation, Prysmian Cavi E Sistemi S.R.L. (Prysmian), engaged in cartel conduct in relation to the supply of high voltage land cables in Australia, in proceedings brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
The Court found that Prysmian entered into and gave effect to agreements in breach of the price fixing and exclusionary arrangement provisions of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (now called the Competition and Consumer Act 2010).
Following an investigation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), a global shipping company based in Japan, has today pleaded guilty to criminal cartel conduct in the Federal Court.
“This is the first criminal charge laid against a corporation under the criminal cartel provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act,” ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has instituted proceedings in the Federal Court against four companies and three individuals for alleged cartel conduct in relation to the supply of polycarbonate roof sheeting (‘polycarb’) to retailers in Australia. Polycarb is commonly used in commercial and home building projects such as pergolas and verandas.
Proceedings have been instituted against:
The Federal Court has ordered Mr Zelko Lendich, who is a former director of the Australian Egg Corporation Limited (AECL) and the former managing director of Farm Pride Foods Ltd (Farm Pride), to pay a pecuniary penalty of $120,000 for an attempt to induce a cartel arrangement between competing egg producers, in proceedings brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.