下請法違反、コストコに勧告　不当減額など３５００万円相当―公取委

　会員制量販店「コストコ」を運営する日本法人が下請け業者への支払代金を不当に減額したなどとして、公正取引委員会は１２日、下請法違反で再発防止などを勧告したと発表した。同法違反と認定された代金減額や返品などは計約３５００万円相当に上り、コストコ側は公取委の調査後、下請け業者２３社に相当額を支払った。
　発表によると、違反を認定されたのは「コストコホールセールジャパン」（千葉県木更津市）。同社は２０２１年１１月～２３年１０月、総菜や菓子などのプライベートブランド製造を請け負う業者２０社に対し、値引き販売や新規開店時の試食品の原資などとして計約３３５０万円を代金から差し引いたり、支払わせたりしていた。（2024/03/12-15:26）

Japan's Fair Trade Commission said Tuesday that it has recommended Costco Wholesale Japan Ltd. take measures to prevent a recurrence of violation of the subcontract law.
   The antitrust watchdog said that the company, operating Costco member-based stores in Japan, reduced its payments to subcontractors and returned goods to them unreasonably, in violation of the law.
   After a probe by the FTC, Costco Wholesale Japan paid to 23 subcontractors a total of some 35 million yen, which is the sum of the reduced payments and the value of the returned goods recognized by the commission.
   According to the FTC, Costco Wholesale Japan, based in Kisarazu, Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, failed to pay funds for discount sales and food samples for new store openings to 20 companies undertaking manufacturing of ready-made meals and confectioneries under the Costco private brand, or made them shoulder such funds between November 2021 and October 2023. The affected amount totaled around 33.5 million yen.
   Between November 2021 and December 2023, Costco Wholesale Japan returned about 2-million-yen worth of products delivered by 11 subcontractors without checking their quality. Buyers of the company are believed to have unilaterally conducted such a practice, taking advantage of their superior position.