Samsung, LG fined for LCD price-fixing in China

LG Display agreed to pay damages ordered by the Chinese government for fixing the price of its panels, while Samsung Display said it would need more time to look into the issue.

On Friday, the world’s two top makers of liquid-crystal display panels ― Samsung and LG Display ― were ordered to pay $35 million in damages by China’s National Development and Reform Commission for price-rigging its panels.

The commission said it fined Samsung 101 million yuan ($16.2 million) and LG 118 million yuan, for fixing prices LCD panels that were supplied to Chinese TV makers between 2001 and 2006.

“LG Display has been realigning the firm’s policies to put a stop to the past wrongdoings. We will also further work toward strengthening transparency in our businesses and to keep ourselves on track,” said an LGD official. He added that the firm had no plan to file an appeal involving the decision at this point.

Samsung also said it would put more effort into making improvements, but said time was needed to review the decision released by the Chinese authorities.

It was the first time China had imposed penalties on foreign firms over anti-trust issues. Four Taiwanese firms ― Chi Mei Optoelectronics, AU Optronics, Chunghwa Picture Tubes, and HannStar Display were also given a fines totaling 353 million yuan, according to the Chinese authorities.

Samsung and LG were both investigated in December 2006 by authorities in Japan, Korea, the European Union and the U.S. for alleged involvement in anti-competitive activity among LCD panel manufacturers.

LGD was ordered to pay $380 million in damages, the largest sum among defendants to settle the U.S. case, while Samsung was called on to pay $240 million.

By Cho Ji-hyun and news reports
(sharon@heraldcorp.com)

<관련 한글 기사>

中서 삼성•LG LCD '가격 담합' 벌금 폭탄

중국 정부가 삼성디스플레이, LG디스플레이를 비롯한 6개 한국, 대만 LCD 패널 생산 기업에 총 3억5천300만위안(약 602억6천만 원)의 담합 과징금을 부과했다고 중국신문사가 4일 보도했다.

해외 기업의 담합 행위에 중국 정부가 과징금을 부과한 것은 이번이 처음이다.

한국 기업으로는 삼성디스플레이와 LG디스플레이가 각각 1억100만위안(약 172억원), 1억1천800만위안(약 201억원)의 과징금을 부과받았다.

대만 기업인 치메이이노룩스(CMI), AU옵트로닉스(AUO), 중화잉관(中華映管), 한위차이징(瀚宇彩晶)은 각각 9천441만위안, 2천189만위안, 1천620만위안, 24만위안의 과징금을 내게 됐다.

6개 기업의 총 과징금 3억5천300만위안 가운데 순수 벌금은 1억4천400만위안이다.

나머지 1억7천200만위안은 담합 행위로 비싼 값에 LCD 패널을 사온 TCL 등 중국 가전 업체에 돌아간다.

반독점 당국인 국가발전개혁위원회(발개위)는 한국과 대만의 6개 기업이 2001∼ 2006년 '정보 교류' 명목으로 53차례 회동해 가격 짬짜미를 함으로써 중국 LCD 패널 구매 기업과 일반 소비자에게 손해를 끼쳤다고 판정했다.

발개위는 아울러 이번 조치가 중국 기업의 합법적인 권리를 보장하고 공평한 시장 질서를 형성하려는 것이라고 덧붙였다.