1 week ago 31 minutes ago
Osmond ChiaBusiness reporter
AFP via Getty Images
The probe connected alleged cartel pricing of crystal pick comes arsenic Japan faces grounds summertime temperatures.
Japan's contention watchdog has raided immoderate of the country's biggest crystal pick makers for allegedly forming a cartel to rise the terms of their products.
Some of the firms, including Meiji and Pocky shaper Ezaki Glico, said this week that they person been taxable to an "on-site inspection" by the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) implicit suspicions that they fixed the prices of frozen desserts.
The JFTC said it is not releasing a connection regarding the investigation.
The companies are suspected of inflating crystal pick prices beyond increases successful the outgo of earthy materials, adjacent arsenic the state faces a blistery summertime with grounds precocious temperatures.
The six firms that were raided connected Tuesday were Meiji, Morinaga Milk Industry, Lotte, Morinaga, Ezaki Glico and Akagi Nyugyo.
The BBC has contacted the companies for comment.
The firms improperly raised prices of fashionable desserts "several times by 5-10% implicit the years", according to Japanese broadcaster NHK, citing anonymous sources.
The brands administer their products wholesale to supermarkets and convenience stores crossed Japan.
Morinaga Milk, Glico and Meiji said successful abstracted statements that they would co-operate with the authorities' investigation.
"As reported by immoderate media outlets today, our institution has been taxable to an on-site inspection by the Fair Trade Commission connected suspicion of violating the Antimonopoly Act successful transportation with the mounting of income prices for crystal pick and different products," Meiji said.
"We instrumentality this inspection precise earnestly and volition cooperate afloat with the Fair Trade Commission's investigation," the Hello Panda snack shaper wrote.
Glico said: "We volition respond successful bully religion to the Fair Trade Commission's probe and cooperate fully."
Earlier this year, Japan unveiled a caller sanction for days that scope 40C (104F) oregon above, aft the state experienced its hottest summertime connected grounds successful 2025.
Additional reporting by Chika Nakayama successful Tokyo
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