Japan finalizes antitrust rules to ensure smooth cost pass-through for SMEs
( June 17, 2026, 05:53 GMT | Official Statement) -- MLex Summary: Japan’s competition watchdog on Wednesday published a finalized package of revised and new rules aimed at ensuring that small and medium-sized enterprises can pass rising costs on to their larger trading partners. The Japan Fair Trade Commission released amended rules under the logistics-sector special designation, which clarify the responsibilities of cargo recipients, as well as new rules requiring contracting companies to make payments within 60 days, and their implementation rules. The agency also revised its guidelines on abuse of a superior bargaining position, requiring companies to engage in price negotiations to prevent the exploitative treatment of SMEs.The JFTC's revised and new rules (in Japanese) are attached....
Prepare for tomorrow’s regulatory change, today
MLex identifies risk to business wherever it emerges, with specialist reporters across the globe providing exclusive news and deep-dive analysis on the proposals, probes, enforcement actions and rulings that matter to your organization and clients, now and in the longer term.
Know what others in the room don’t, with features including:
- Daily newsletters for Antitrust, M&A, Trade, Data Privacy & Security, Technology, AI and more
- Custom alerts on specific filters including geographies, industries, topics and companies to suit your practice needs
- Predictive analysis from expert journalists across North America, the UK and Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific
- Curated case files bringing together news, analysis and source documents in a single timeline
Experience MLex today with a 14-day free trial.