The crackdown on cartels and other anti-competitive business practices has reached an all-time high worldwide, with countries that do not have a long antitrust tradition – such as Korea and Japan – becoming some of the most vigilant enforcers, according to a report published on Tuesday.
The survey, by the specialist journal Global Competition Review, says Japan’s Fair Trade Commission received nearly 80 leniency applications from cartelists last year, far more than any other competition agency. All the applicants were prepared to admit anticompetitive behaviour in return for reduced penalties.
