Competition Criminal Enforcement In Canada - The Year In Review 2016

Introduction

In 2016, the Commissioner of Competition (the Commissioner) pursued another year of aggressive criminal enforcement in Canada. The Cartels Directorate secured a total of approximately C$13.4 million in fines for cartel and bid-rigging offences, in contrast to the relatively modest C$2.9 million in fines that were secured in 2015. The Commissioner was successful in obtaining an appellate decision that upheld convictions in the retail gasoline case, and he also secured the second-largest fine ever for a bid-rigging offence in Canada as part of his ongoing auto parts investigation. In addition to these successes before the courts, the Commissioner deepened his commitment to cross-border cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice through a coordinated investigation that resulted in a significant fine against Nishikawa Rubber in the U.S. Finally, the Commissioner demonstrated his leadership role in the global network of competition enforcers by announcing