Japan’s brewery ‘cartel’ didn’t collude enough

Visitors to Japan know the simple joys of a local beer — a mug of lager that, regardless of the brand on the label, is consistently tasty and familiar. That consistency might be a problem, says the Fair Trade Commission, which has launched an investigation into the four major brewers. The regulator suspects they colluded to fix the timing and level of price hikes for wholesalers, according to Bloomberg News.

Further reports suggest the regulator has been looking at the practice for decades. The collusion is problematic; if the allegations are true, customers have been paying more than needed for years.