On the 13th, the Fair Trade Commission began on-site inspections of four edible oil manufacturers, alleging that they were suspected of violating the Antimonopoly Act by forming a cartel to unfairly raise the price of sesame oil sold to wholesalers. This was revealed through interviews with those involved.
The companies that underwent on-site inspections were
``Kadoya Oil Refinery'' in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, ``
Takemoto Yushi'' in Gamagori City, Aichi Prefecture, ``Kuki Sangyo'' in
Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture, and ``Nichi Oil Manufacturing'
' in Chuo Ward, Tokyo. These are the four companies of the Sei Oi Rio Group.
According to sources, these four companies hold a large share of the domestic sesame oil market, which has a market size of approximately 45 billion yen, but they have formed a cartel to unfairly raise the price of sesame oil sold to wholesalers. The company is suspected of violating antitrust laws.
The import price of sesame oil, the raw material, has roughly doubled in the past three years due to political instability in Africa, the main import destination, and the weak yen. There have been a number of announcements recently, but it appears that the price hikes that are being suspected this time have been going on for quite some time in order to respond to requests for price reductions from large customers.
The Fair Trade Commission is expected to investigate the details of the incident by analyzing materials obtained during the on-site inspection and interviewing those involved.