Jason Ellis, a former general manager of sales and marketing at BlueScope Steel Limited, has been charged with two counts of inciting the obstruction of a Commonwealth official in the performance of their functions.
The ACCC has strengthened its cartel immunity and cooperation policy to enhance its transparency and clarify its scope.
The updated immunity policy, which has been informed by experience gathered during key criminal investigations, will come into effect on 1 October 2019.
It will continue to cover cartel conduct such as price-fixing, market sharing, bid rigging and customer allocation, and will clarify that the policy does not cover anti-competitive concerted practices.
An ACCC appeal against a Federal Court judgment in relation to alleged bid rigging conduct involving Cascade Coal Pty Ltd (Cascade), Paul and Moses Obeid and others was dismissed today by the Full Federal Court.
The appeal focused on whether parties associated with Obeid family members and Cascade were “in competition” at the time they withdrew a bid for Mount Penny and Glendon Brook mining exploration licences. The Full Federal Court has concluded there was no error of law on that issue.
The ACCC has instituted civil proceedings in the Federal Court against BlueScope Steel Limited (BlueScope) and its former general manager sales and marketing, Mr Jason Ellis, for alleged cartel conduct in relation to the supply of flat steel products.
The ACCC alleges that between September 2013 and June 2014, BlueScope and Mr Ellis attempted to induce various steel distributors in Australia and overseas manufacturers to enter agreements containing a price fixing provision.
Following continuing investigations by the ACCC, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean AS (WWO), a Norwegian-based global shipping company, has today been charged with criminal cartel conduct.
The charge relates to alleged cartel conduct concerning the international shipping of certain vehicles to Australia between June 2011 and July 2012.
The charge was laid by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecution (CDPP) in the NSW District Registry of the Federal Court. The matter has been set down by the Court for a first mention on 29 August 2019.
Japanese shipping company Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd (K-Line) has been convicted of criminal cartel conduct and ordered by the Federal Court to pay a fine of $34.5 million.
The Federal Court found K-Line engaged in a cartel with other shipping companies in order to fix prices on the transportation of cars, trucks, and buses to Australia between 2009 and 2012.
K-Line’s fine of $34.5 million is the largest ever criminal fine imposed under the Competition and Consumer Act.
ACCC Chair Rod Sims has welcomed Treasurer Josh Frydenberg's announcement today that Stephen Ridgeway will join the agency as a Commissioner.
Mr Ridgeway has been appointed for a term of five years. He brings to the ACCC extensive experience as a leading lawyer specialising in competition and consumer law, including in large-scale litigation, merger review and infrastructure access matters.