GLOBAL COMPETITION AGENCIES CONTINUE TO AGGRESSIVELY ENFORCE
CARTEL LAWS
Although some major US Department of Justice (DOJ)
investigations are ending, increased international cooperation and
new probes confirm expanding cartel enforcement.
As in recent years, competition authorities worldwide continued
to aggressively investigate and prosecute cartel activity in 2015.
The United States led the way with a total of $3.8 billion in
cartel fines. The European Union countries and Japan also garnered
significant fines this year, although down from last year. Taiwan
imposed its largest criminal antitrust fine ever in 2015: $177
million for a cartel of capacitor manufacturers. Although the
longstanding DOJ auto parts investigation is winding down in 2016,
the DOJ continues its aggressive cartel enforcement in other
industries. The DOJ has already opened new investigations and
accelerated other investigations, including in the capacitors,
resistors, other electronic
