Japan's trade watchdog is likely to impose a record amount of fines on several major utilities after finding they formed a cartel and obstructed the liberalization of the country's electricity market, sources close to the matter have said. The companies including Chugoku Electric Power Co., Kyushu Electric Power Co. and Chubu Electric Power Co. will be ordered to pay surcharges totaling tens of billions of yen for violating the antimonopoly law, possibly the highest amount ever imposed by the Japan Fair Trade Commission, the sources said Friday. The utilities allegedly agreed for several years...
