Bekaert SA Rotten Score Breakdown

Belgian steel-wire producer N.V. Bekaert S.A. pleaded guilty in 1985 to conspiring to fix prices and divide the U.S. market for gabions, wire containers used in construction and erosion-control projects. U.S. Department of Justice records state that Bekaert paid a $300,000 criminal fine, while its U.S. subsidiary Bekaert Steel Wire Corporation paid a separate $325,000 fine. The government subsequently pursued civil damages, alleging that the conspiracy caused federal, state and local public works purchasers to pay noncompetitive prices. This is an older case, but the guilty plea and penalty are directly documented in DOJ antitrust records. Sources: U.S. Department of Justice https://www.justice.gov/atr/case-document/file/968536/dl https://www.justice.gov/atr/case-document/file/1017906/dl