DUNLOP CHARGED WITH BID RIGGING, FIXING PRICES, AND MARKET ALLOCUTION IN MARINE HOSE INDUSTRY

On December 1, 2008, Dunlop Oil & Marine Ltd (“Dunlop”), located in Grimsby, England, pled guilty to rigging bids, fixing prices and allocating market shares of marine hose sold in the United States. Dunlop also agreed to pay a $4.54 million criminal fine and cooperate with the DOJ’s ongoing antitrust investigation.
Marine hose is a flexible rubber hose used to transfer oil between tankers and storage facilities. The cartel manipulated prices for hundreds of millions of dollars worth of marine hose worldwide.

Dunlop is the second company charged in this investigation. On June 28, 2008, Manuli Rubber Industries SpA (“Manuli”), an Italian marine hose manufacturer, and Robert L. Furness, the former president of Manuli’s subsidiary Plantation, pled guilty for their role in a worldwide conspiracy to rig bids, fix prices, and allocate market share in the marine hose industry.

Andre Barlow