Stellantis' $807 million UK lawsuit over airbag, seatbelt cartels dismissed (updated)

Autoliv

21/02/2025 14:41

(Adds details in paragraphs 3-6)
       LONDON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Stellantis'  STLAM.MI  771
million euro ($807.62 million) lawsuit against two safety
equipment makers was dismissed by a London tribunal on Friday.
    The automaker, which was formed by the 2021 merger of Fiat
Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group, sued Autoliv and ZF/TRW for
allegedly charging higher prices for seatbelts, airbags and
steering wheels.
    Sweden's Autoliv  ALV.N  and TRW – which was bought by
German rival ZF Friedrichshafen in 2014 – were found by the
European Commission to have participated in cartels, relating to
products sold to Japanese and European car manufacturers.
        The two companies 
    were fined
     368.3 million euros in 2019 over cartels involving products
supplied to some European car producers, while a Japanese unit
of Autoliv was among companies fined for cartels involving
supplies to Japanese automakers.
  
        Autoliv and ZF/TRW argued the European Commission
investigated for several years – with the companies' cooperation
– and did not find Stellantis was targeted by the cartel.
  
    The Competition Appeal Tribunal rejected Stellantis' case on
Friday, saying in a written ruling that "Stellantis has failed
to show that any cartel activity directed against the Stellantis
groups resulted in an overcharge at all or of the size claimed".

($1 = 0.9547 euros)

 (Reporting by Sam Tobin; 
Editing by Catarina Demony)
 ((Sam.Tobin@thomsonreuters.com;))