Nov 4 European Union antitrust regulators charged 10 Asian makers of electrolytic capacitors on Wednesday with taking part in a cartel over a 17-year period, the latest EU action against illegal price-fixing.
The European Commission said the cartel operated from 1997 to 2014, with the companies holding a series of multilateral meetings in Japan to discuss future market trends, prices and customer data. It did not name the companies.
Electrolytic capacitors control the flow of electricity in a variety of products including smartphones, TVs, games consoles and cameras.
The EU competition authority launched its investigation in March last year together with counterparts around the world. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Philip Blenkinsop)