JAPAN AIRLINES ADMITS INVOLVEMENT IN AIRLINE CARTEL THAT FIXED CARGO RATES TO AND FROM THE UNITED STATES AND ELSEWHERE

On April 16, 2008, Japan Airlines International Co. Ltd. (“JAL”) agreed to plead guilty and pay a criminal fine of $110 million for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices for international cargo shipments.
JAL was accused of attempting to fix rates on international cargo shipments to and from the United States between April 2000 and February 2006. JAL was the largest carrier of goods between the United States and Japan earning about $2 billion. According to the charges, which were filed at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, JAL participated in meetings with its co-conspirators to fix cargo rates and monitored and enforced such agreed upon rates.

The airliner agreed to cooperate with the Department of Justice’s ongoing investigation. JAL is the fourth airliner to admit its involvement in a conspiracy to fix rates for cargo shipments to and from the United States. British Airways, Korean Air Lines, and Quantas Airways have all pled guilty and agreed to pay criminal fines ranging from $61 million to $300 million.

Andre Barlow
(202) 589-1834
abarlow@dbmlawgroup.com