In the USA, tire companies have been cleared of price-fixing allegations

Goodyear, Bridgestone and four other major tire manufacturers have convinced a US judge to dismiss collective lawsuits accusing them of conspiring to raise tire prices in the secondary market, Reuters reports.

On February 25, Senior District Judge Sara Lioi in Akron, Ohio, ruled that the lawsuits against the defendants, which also included Continental, Michelin, Nokian and Pirelli, were dismissed because there was no evidence that they had conspired to regulate prices and increase their profits.

Last year, three groups of tire buyers, including car dealers, filed lawsuits against tire manufacturers, accusing them of agreeing to raise prices in the US secondary market during the coronavirus pandemic. The lawsuits were filed after the EU's antitrust authorities conducted raids on the offices of several tire companies.

In the US, manufacturers argued that the court should not take into account the European investigation, which they said had not resulted in any sanctions against them.

Lioi noted in her ruling that the plaintiffs had not provided evidence of a connection between the alleged violations in Europe and pricing practices in the US. The judge also stated that "no convincing evidence was provided that the price increase was unjustified."

The lawsuits can be revised until March 25.

Photo: ohnb.uscourts.gov