[Washington 9th Reuters]-The Justice Department decided to start investigating the voluntary standards for exhaust emissions that California and the four major automakers agreed in July on suspicion of violating the antitrust law. The House Judiciary Committee held a public hearing and showed a policy to verify whether the investigation was valid.
The committee's chairman Nadler (Democratic Party) and subcommittee chairman David Sicilin (Democratic Party) on the antitrust law-related issues said in a statement: It ’s just one of the latest examples. ”
The four major companies that have agreed with California on voluntary standards are Ford Motor <FN>, Honda <7267.T>, BMW <BMWG.DE>, and Volkswagen <VOWG_p.DE>.
The Justice Department declined to comment. No comments have been obtained from the White House or auto companies.
Nadler and Sicilian argued that "there is virtually no antitrust interpretation that the Department of Justice can use to prove that the voluntary standards agreement unreasonably restricts commerce, ie violates antitrust laws." .
Several media, including Reuters, reported on the Justice Department's investigation last weekend.
The Trump administration is aiming to revoke the authority of California to develop its own car fuel efficiency standards, and the four automobile companies have disagreed with the government's intention by signing an agreement with the state.