Tire manufacturers defeat US price-fixing case in court

Akron, US - Six of the world’s leading tire manufacturers have won a federal court dismissal of a US class action case against them.

The lawsuit alleged that Nokian, Continental, Pirelli, Goodyear, Michelin and Bridgestone conspired to overcharge customers including businesses and public.

It asserted that the defendants fixed prices “on replacement tires sold in the Unite States during and after the Covid-19 pandemic”.

However, chief judge Sara Lioi dismissed the case presented in the US district court, northern district of Ohio eastern division.

The class action alleged unlawful agreement  to coordinate a series of price increases between 2020 and 2023” allegedly maintained “from 2023 through the present”.

The three groups of plaintiffs included direct purchasers, dealerships and those buying tires from sources other than the defendants.

Allegations included that the industry was “oligopolistic and highly concentrated,” with Bridgestone, Michelin, and Goodyear controlling “almost 64 percent” of the market.

Plaintiffs claimed that the Covid-19 pandemic increased efforts by the defendants to raise prices after the fall in domestic travel reduced demand for tires.

They asserted that “price increases far exceeded the rise in input costs that drive replacement tire pricing.”

After hearing counter arguments and evidence from the companies, Judge Lioi rejected the price fixing claims against the defendants.

The plaintiffs can seek leave to file amended consolidated complaints after the judge’s order but must do so no later than March 25, 2025.