Ontario fines Japan car parts manufacturer $550K for bid rigging
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
NGK Spark Plug conspired to fix prices for certain GM contracts with another manufacturer
OTTAWA—A Japanese auto parts supplier has been handed a $550,000 fine by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice for its role in an international bid rigging conspiracy.
NGK Spark Plug Co. pleaded guilty to one count of bid rigging in court Dec. 13, becoming the 12th company fined as part of a broader auto parts price-fixing investigation underway since 2009.
The Competition Bureau released few details of the scheme, but said the spark plug maker entered into illegal arrangements with another manufacturer to rig bids for certain General Motors contracts in 2005. The federal agency said the companies conspired to determine who would win the work.
Among others, the investigation has also led to a $130 million fine for Nishikawa Rubber Co. last year and a $13.4 million fine for Mitsubishi Electric Corp. this April.
