Ibiden Pleads Guilty in Price-Fixing Case
Associated Press
Ibiden Co., a Japanese manufacturer, pleaded guilty to participating in an international price-fixing cartel and agreed to pay a $3.6-million fine, the Justice Department said.
Three top executives at the company were indicted for their role in the conspiracy to fix the price of a graphite compound used in the semiconductor industry, the department said.
Ibiden makes isostatic graphite, a carbon product used to produce electrodes, dies and other products. The company agreed to cooperate with prosecutors as part of a plea agreement, which must be approved by the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia.
Ibiden is the third company to be charged with graphite price fixing, following Carbone of America Industries Corp. and Toyo Tanso USA.
