消息人士周六透露，日本四大啤酒公司涉嫌价格串通，在2023年啤酒税每升减税19日元后，以成本上升为由维持出厂价格不变。
Japan’s four major beer companies, suspected of price collusion, kept shipping prices unchanged after the 2023 tax cut of ¥19 per liter of beer, citing higher costs, sources said on Saturday.
据消息人士称，这四家公司随后又在2025年统一实施了每升涨价20日元。
Meanwhile, they all implemented a price hike of ¥20 per liter in 2025, according to the sources.
日本公正取引委员会正在就朝日啤酒、麒麟啤酒、三得利洋酒和札幌啤酒四家公司的出厂价格涉嫌组成卡特尔进行调查。
The Japan Fair Trade Commission is investigating a possible cartel regarding shipping prices among Asahi Breweries, Kirin Brewery, Suntory Spirits and Sapporo Breweries.
自2020年以来，啤酒税已历经三次减税。2023年10月税额每升减少19日元，但消息人士称，四大啤酒商通过反映回收容器成本上涨抵消了这一减税幅度。
Since 2020, there have been three tax cuts for beer. In October 2023, the tax was reduced by ¥19 per liter, but the four brewers offset the cut by reflecting a rise in the cost of collecting containers, the sources said.
“尽管减税，四家公司却都维持价格不变，这完全不可思议，根本无法理解，”一位批发商高管表示。“这太离谱了，但我们不得不跟随厂家的价格调整。”另一位批发商高管称，关于2022年10月和2025年4月的涨价，在啤酒厂商与批发商的半年度会议上也曾提出质疑。
“All four companies kept prices unchanged despite the tax cut, which was totally strange and not understandable at all,” said one wholesaler official. “It was so outrageous, but we couldn’t help but follow the makers’ price revisions.”Regarding their price hikes in October 2022 and April 2025, questions were raised at semiannual meetings between beer makers and wholesalers, another wholesaler official said.
10月7日，公正取引委员会以涉嫌违反《反垄断法》为由，对四家公司的总部等地进行了搜查。该监管机构正在调查此案，并考虑向检方提出刑事告发。
On Oct. 7, the commission searched the four companies’ headquarters and other locations on suspicion of violating the antimonopoly law. The watchdog is investigating the case with a view to filing a criminal complaint with prosecutors.