Shares of Japan beer makers fall after raids over cartel suspicion
The companies are suspected of coordinating price increases for years, and shares fell after the raids, with Kirin down 2.31% and Asahi 1.54%.
- On Wednesday, the Japan Fair Trade Commission raided the country's four major brewers—Asahi Group Holdings, Kirin Holdings, Sapporo Holdings, and Suntory Holdings—on suspicion of cartelization in sales to wholesalers.
- The four companies allegedly colluded over an extended period by exchanging information to coordinate timing and size of price increases for beer and beer-like drinks, including "happoshu" low-malt beer and cheaper "third category" beverages.
- Shares fell on the news, with Kirin shedding 2.31 per cent, Sapporo losing 1.97 per cent, and Asahi falling 1.54 per cent to their lowest level in more than three months. Domestic sales of beer and low-malt beer totaled about $10 billion in 2024.
- All four companies separately confirmed the raids and stated they intend to cooperate with the investigation. The Fair Trade Commission is expected to continue its probe and could file a criminal complaint, NHK reported.
- This marks the first compulsory investigation by the Japan Fair Trade Commission involving food and beverage companies. The agency is investigating suspicions that the brewers violated antimonopoly laws by forming a cartel to raise prices.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Japan's Fair Trade Commission has raided four of Japan's largest brewing groups, Kirin, Asahi, Suntory and Sapporo, over suspicions of collusion in the sale of beer and other products to wholesalers. Asahi also owns the Czech group Plzeňský Prazdroj, among others.
The Japanese competition authority raided the country's four largest beer producers on suspicion of illegal price fixing, and the share prices of the companies involved immediately began to fall upon the news.
Japanese competition authorities suspect Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo and Suntory to be granted to increase their beverage prices Japanese authorities searched
Japanese authorities have raided and investigated four major beer producers – Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, and Suntory – on suspicion of colluding to fix beer prices, which may violate antitrust laws.
Reformatorisch Dagblad
welingelichtekringen.nlThe Japanese competition authority raided four major Japanese brewers on Wednesday. Asahi Breweries, the parent company of Grolsch, is among those suspected of price fixing.
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