Lens, eyeglass firms fined RMB 19.6 million in price-fixing case

BEIJING - Johnson & Johnson and Bausch & Lomb are among several contact lens and eyeglass manufacturers fined a total of RMB 19.6 million for price fixing in the latest antitrust investigation by China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). Some eyeglass manufacturers allegedly required dealers to adhere to suggested retail prices for contact lenses, while some contact lens companies told retailers to hold promotional activities such as ‘three for one’ offers all year round to maintain resale prices.

Hoya Corp. and Shanghai Weicon Optics were also investigated exempted from punishment because they had voluntarily reported monopolistic practices and rectified the issue. Chinese regulators have scrutinised global and local companies over pricing in the past year, with six infant formula companies, including Mead Johnson Nutrition and Danone, fined a combined RMB 669 million for violating anti-monopoly laws last August.

Since then, the NDRC has expanded its antitrust law enforcement team and focussed probes on six industries: aerospace, daily chemicals, automobile, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, and home appliances.