August 11/2003
Japan Fair Trade Commission
The JFTC, as a result of an investigation into Hokkaido Piling Log Association, today warned it against possible violation of Section 8-1(1) (prohibition of unreasonable restraint of trade by a trade association) of the Antimonopoly Act as follows:
1. Party to be warned
Hokkaido Piling Log Association (Shiroishi-ku, Sapporo-city)
Business:Study and publicity of engineering methods with piling logs, promotion of utilization and protection of the wood resources in Hokkaido Area etc.
2. Outline of suspected violation
With respect to the sales of the piling logs for civil engineering works by pile-net method (for stabilizing the fillings on soft ground) let by Public Offices in Hokkaido Area, the Association is suspected to have determined (1) the annual sales ratio of its members to civil engineering companies and (2) members to sell to the civil engineering companies and non-members' self-restraint of sales, thereby making the members sell according to the annual sales ratio.
3. Outline of the warning
The Association shall not conduct the same kind of acts as above 2.
*Every announcement is tentative translation. Please refer to the original text written in Japanese.
