More than ten Japanese companies frankly self-protection monopoly parts of Europe and the United States has long been the case

Japan Parts Europe and the United States have long been the case: China's antitrust to break the "closed kingdom"

 

Zhou Kaiping

 

August 8, Guangzhou Automobile Honda released official information, "In response to the National Development and Reform Commission and the Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission on the company's components and other related areas of concern, the implementation of some parts prices down." Almost at the same time, with Guangzhou Dongfeng Nissan, GAC Toyota also released a similar message.

 

Following the antitrust investigation of luxury brands such as Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Jaguar Land Rover. On August 6, Li Parkin, secretary general of the National Development and Reform Commission, publicly said that the NDRC has completed the investigation of the monopoly cases of auto parts and bearings of 12 Japanese companies and will punish them according to law.

 

According to 21st Century Business Herald reporter learned from authoritative sources, this part of the antitrust investigation as the core, the cause is in the United States and Europe after the investigation of auto parts, about ten Japanese auto parts enterprises voluntarily submitted to the NDRC Monopoly facts, in order to protect themselves.

 

However, the situation of Japanese parts companies in China is different from that in the United States because Japanese brands adopt a very closed supply system and their control over the parts chain is not the parts business but the OEMs. The antitrust in the United States mainly focuses on countering the prices of parts and components in the United States. The possible domestic situation is that it is aimed at a survey conducted by a host manufacturer and a joint monopoly with parts and components companies.

 

August 11, a distributor of Japanese brands that have already announced price reductions of parts and components, confirmed to reporters in the 21st Century Business Herald that "the current antitrust investigations are mainly focused on the prices of spare parts rather than on the prices of complete vehicles or the outside world The pressure storehouse, tying and other issues. "

 

China follows Europe and the United States

 

"There are currently no other aspects related to the price monopoly of parts and components." The dealers said they had communicated with the OEMs but have not yet received formal notice of price adjustment of parts and components and the scope of price adjustment.

 

Antitrust investigation of mass brands, why at present only involves a number of Japanese auto companies, but no German, American Department? In fact, according to the authoritative sources, the source is that some Japanese auto parts companies took the initiative to "confidentially" the facts of the illegal activities and carried out a series of follow-up investigations after they accepted antitrust sanctions in the United States.

 

Before the NDRC launched its antitrust investigation, the four-year U.S. antitrust investigation into auto parts enterprises has entered the final stage. Many enterprises have been severely punished, most of which are Japanese enterprises.

 

In September last year, after examining nine parts suppliers based in Japan and two executives having participated in price controls, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a total of US $ 745 million in tickets to these companies. These companies include Hitachi Automotive Systems, JTEK, Mitsubishi Motors, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan Seiko, T.RAD, Valeo Japan, Yamashita Rubber (15130, -125.00, -0.82%).

 

In February this year, Bridgestone, a Japanese tire manufacturer, reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to admit that manipulating the sales price of auto parts violated the U.S. Anti-Monopoly Law by agreeing to pay the largest antitrust penalty with a fine of up to 425 million US dollars.

 

According to "Detroit News" reported that as of July of this year, the U.S. Department of Justice punished 34 executives of auto parts companies and 27 parts manufacturers, more than 2.3 billion in fine.

 

Antitrust is not conducted in the United States alone. The same investigations are being conducted by EU countries such as Japan and Germany. In July last year, the EU antitrust agency imposed penalties on Japan's Yazaki, Germany's Lenny, Japan's Yazaki's European subsidiary, SY Systems Technology Co., Ltd., and Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd., four auto parts makers suspected of forming a monopoly coalition and manipulating product price.

 

Antitrust investigations in Europe and the United States have not closed since then. In March this year, another 6 suppliers of parts suppliers confess the cartel consortium that conspired to set up automobile bearings, including two European suppliers and three Japanese suppliers, Severus, Schaeffler, Japan's Seiko, NFC and NTN, Japan's Seiko and NFC were fined 624 million euros and 396 million euros respectively, and En Tien was fined 200 million euros.

 

Uncontrolled Japanese auto parts companies to take self-protection, began to take the initiative in China, "surrender" measures. Earlier this year, Japan's auto parts companies took the initiative to the National Development and Reform Commission to explain the situation, hoping to be able to adapt to the provisions of tolerance, reduce penalties.

 

Who will stand up for the first report, who will likely be lenient punishment. There are precedents in this round of antitrust in the EU. Japan Yazaki, Japan's Sumitomo Electric and Japan's JTEK have been exempt from punishment because they acted as "whistleblowers" and unmasked the monopoly of several other suppliers.

 

In our country, there are also legal provisions that give a lighter punishment to those who take the initiative to account. According to Article 46 of China's "Anti-Monopoly Law," where an operator reports to the antitrust enforcement agency on its own initiative the situation of the monopoly agreement and provides important evidence, the antitrust enforcement agency may, at its discretion, mitigate or exempt the operator Punishment. There are similar provisions in the "Provisions of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce on Procedures for Investigating and Handling Monopoly Agreements and Abusing Market Dominant Positions in Cases" promulgated by SAIC and implemented in July 2009.

 

Break control of parts

 

Many people have doubts, whether it is Europe or the United States, why the most extensive anti-trust parts is Japanese? The industry background is that the Japanese parts and components industry is very developed, even in the global market control of the semiconductor, integrated circuits and other high value-added core components, a large number of Chinese auto parts imported from Japan, imports in 2013 amounted to 9.58 billion US dollars, accounting for imports Total 27%.

 

In China, the reason Japanese auto companies swirled into swirling centers is that Toyota, Honda, Nissan and other Japanese car parts supply system are more closed, the supply chain system using vendor training mechanism, the OEM not only from the parts factory procurement zero Components, but also for the parts manufacturers to develop long-term training programs to reduce costs, improve technology and quality continue to improve.

 

The result of this long-term mode is that a Japanese automaker often has only one or two parts suppliers, which is hard to change and the parts supply system is more stable. Second, the OEM can control the parts more reliably Business, or even manipulate prices.

 

"Japanese parts companies in China and the United States is not the same, many Japanese parts companies in the United States can supply multiple brands in China, even Toyota, Honda, Nissan three suppliers rarely coincide, the OEM The dominance of the entire chain is more obvious. "Japanese car prices insiders believe.

 

China's OEMs control of parts and components, in fact, the real controller is a foreign joint venture. Japanese brands tend to cultivate the mechanism on the grounds that after the establishment of a joint venture in China, the entire supply system in Japan to move to China to create a closed kingdom. As the other side of the joint venture, it is very difficult for China to make the decision on supplier selection.

 

In the Honda production system, the technical component of the component technology was originally placed in the technical department, which is generally controlled directly by the Japanese side and far away from Honda headquarters in Japan. Suppliers to enter the Honda supply system, must pass Japan's assessment. Former Executive Vice President Yoichi Yasuhiro, who had been constrained by the Japanese side in order to effectively reduce costs and get rid of the supply system, tried drastically to promote the reform of the procurement system.

 

However, it is hard for Japan to accept this. Soon afterwards, with the removal of Yao Yimin, the reform will no longer be lifted. In fact, this reform touched the fundamental interests of Japan. "Many parts companies in Japan are wholly-owned or joint ventures. As long as the price of spare parts is increased, they can get much higher prices in the whole vehicle manufacturing process than China Huge profit. "The above dealers said.

 

According to the national policy, international automobile brands entering into China must establish a 50:50 joint venture with the Chinese side. The profits thus obtained must be equally divided between China and the other, but the parts enterprises can set up wholly-owned enterprises so that profits can be transferred in accordance with the laws and regulations . The above Japanese brand dealers believe that this is the root cause of the Japanese auto parts prices higher than the international price.

 

Fined enterprises unwilling to give up profits aftermarket parts

 

A number of Japanese auto parts enterprises have already "surrendered" and the NDRC is weighing the severity of the punishment. The penalty result is expected to be announced shortly and the Japanese auto parts companies will still receive the tickets. This case involves only the automotive front-end, parts procurement process of monopolistic behavior, in fact, the sale of spare parts antitrust is hard to bite the bones.

 

Host plant to take the leading position, but also on the downstream parts market aftermarket control. "Manufacturers of car dealers authorized the operation of the components are also designated, must be genuine from the manufacturers, the natural price is the manufacturer agreed .If it is not manufacturers of parts, is fake parts, manufacturers control is very strict." The above Dealer said.

 

Currently, dealers sell boutique, many OEMs also require "genuine" and fully control the procurement channels. Dealers can secretly purchase, there are only a few LOGO brackets and other accessories. Because of the huge price difference between domestic parts and international spare parts, in some areas in the South, the brand components that enter the country through special channels are very popular.

 

The model of auto brand franchising is the root cause of the price of spare parts far above the international price. Car manufacturers often think that the maintenance of customer rights and interests, to ensure the quality of vehicle maintenance reasons. However, according to a Japanese automobile manufacturer, an insider said that there is no such policy in the United States, so there is plenty of room for OEM parts and components. China's auto parts and components are exported to the United States in large quantities. In the past ten years, China's auto parts exports to the United States increased by 700%, and the share of U.S. auto parts imports increased from 2% to over 10%.

 

"The price cut is only a temporary solution to the problem, the factory can be transferred back at any time." In the Geshi Automotive CEO Chen Wenkai view, China's antitrust future should also take the European model: First, require OEMs in the upper reaches of the company shall not restrict the external supply Second, the dealer can not be restricted from the procurement of spare parts from other sources; the third is to require OEMs open car repair technology.

 

With China's antitrust deepening, distributors generally believe that theoretically the future dealers can also purchase auto parts from various sources, but the premise is that manufacturers should publish information on all accessories, including the release of standards.

 

However, the above dealers believe that the OEM will not easily let go by the judgment of the commercial environment of China's automobile industry. "There is a huge interest behind the manufacturers. Even with antitrust deterrence, manufacturers will control distributors through supervision and incentive policies." At present, manufacturers have plans and budgets for the dealers every year. China's automobile sales system is already a complete set of mechanisms. "

 

Dealers actually and manufacturers in a boat. "At present, new car sales are no longer profitable. Maintenance is the biggest source of profits for dealers. Reducing the price of spare parts actually makes the day harder and harder in reducing the output value and profits of dealers. Manufacturers control of parts, not loosened dealers, the real benefit is the consumer.

 

Car manufacturers will also be a greater impact: First, the "zero ratio" high coefficient of Mercedes-Benz and other car prices, as soon as possible through the profits of spare parts to recover the investment costs of the plan fell; the second is to maintain the stability of sales channels, may have to sales policy Make big adjustments.