Mlex reported [1]Mlex, LG Display settles with Iiyama over LCD cartel claim, 30 April 2020. on 20 April 2020 that LG Display had declared that it settled an antitrust claim in 2019 with the Japanese screen maker Iiyama in the aftermath of the liquid-crystal displays cartel. In 2010, the European Commission imposed a fine of EUR 649 million on LG Display, AU Optronics, Chimei Innolux, and others for having engaged in LCD display price-fixing from 2001 to 2006.
According to Mlex, on 5 May 2020, Daimler A.G. argued before the UK High Court in London that Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s data on the operation of the maritime car carriers cartel amounted to a “smoking gun”.[2]Mlex, Wallenius Wilhelmsen data provides ‘smoking gun’ in car-shipper operations, Daimler tells UK judge In those proceedings,[3]The case is CL-2018-000572 Daimler AG v MOL (Europe Africa) Ltd and others. Daimler is claiming damages from various shipping companies for their role in the cartel[4]Commission Decision of 21 February 2018, Case AT.40009 — Maritime Car Carriers, 2018/C 314/09. that we wrote about earlier in Q(2020-1). In its decision of 21 February 2018, the European Commission fined the shipping companies Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd, MOL (Europe Africa) Ltd, Nissan Motor Car Carrier Co., Ltd, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha and various companies affiliated with Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics AS, including EUKOR Car Carriers, inc. for € 395 million for their role in the cartel. The maritime car carriers are also under fire from UK car manufacturers in other procedures. For example, Jaguar Land Rover7 and Volvo8 have initiated separate proceedings against the members of the cartel pursuant to the European Commission’s decision.
On 19 June 2020, in the proceedings between Wolseley UK Limited and others v. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V., CNH Industrial N.V., DAF Trucks N.V. and Daimler A.G.9 in the aftermath of the truck cartel, the Competition Appeal Tribunal ordered Daimler A.G. to provide “explanatory guidance” about the Daimler database it had provided to Wolseley in the context of disclosure. This explanatory guidance is furthermore meant to consist of Daimler releasing additional information to make it easier to understand the Daimler database, including the guidance that Daimler has already had to provide to claimants in other truck cartel proceedings.
References
1 | Mlex, LG Display settles with Iiyama over LCD cartel claim, 30 April 2020. |
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2 | Mlex, Wallenius Wilhelmsen data provides ‘smoking gun’ in car-shipper operations, Daimler tells UK judge |
3 | The case is CL-2018-000572 Daimler AG v MOL (Europe Africa) Ltd and others. |
4 | Commission Decision of 21 February 2018, Case AT.40009 — Maritime Car Carriers, 2018/C 314/09. |