Tokyo, November 26, 2025 — The Japan Fair Trade Commission has ordered the North Shinetsu branch of the Nagano Petroleum Commercial Association to halt coordinated pricing of gasoline sales and fined 17 member firms a combined JPY 116.6 million (approximately $746,406) for following the branch’s pricing directives.
The authority also issued warnings to three non-members found to have aligned their pricing with the group and urged the prefectural association to strengthen compliance to avoid future violations.
Price Coordination Alleged
According to the authority’s findings, the branch had long discussed adjustments to retail gasoline prices across the North Shinetsu region. From December 2024, the branch leadership allegedly set unified timing and amounts for price revisions and relayed those instructions through district leaders to service stations.
The authority concluded that this effectively restricted independent pricing and reduced market rivalry for regular and premium gasoline sold at local stations.
Orders Issued
The cease-and-desist order requires the branch to formally confirm that its coordinated pricing policy has been abolished, notify members and customers, and ensure future price changes are set independently by each station. The branch must submit a compliance report to the authority.
The 17 companies must pay their individual fines by June 29, 2026. The authority noted that the total penalty reflects the unlawful coordination of prices for “specified gasoline,” excluding highway stations and certain contract-based sales formats.
Warnings to Non-Members
Three non-member firms operating in the region were also found to have obtained and used the branch’s price-revision information when setting their own prices. The authority warned that such conduct risks violating Japan’s ban on restrictive agreements and instructed the firms not to repeat the behavior.
Request to Prefectural Association
During the investigation, the authority found that the branch chair regularly shared planned price changes with staff at the Nagano Petroleum Commercial Association despite being aware of the coordination. The authority urged the prefectural body to circulate the cease-and-desist requirements internally, adopt clear compliance guidelines, and conduct regular training for officers, staff, and members.
Source: https://www.jftc.go.jp/houdou/pressrelease/2025/nov/251126_daini.html
