SAN JOSE – Flextronics has filed suit in the US District Court against multiple Japanese semiconductor makers alleging price-fixing.

Flextronics is claiming Hokuriku Electric Industry, HDK America, Rohm and Rohm Semiconductor USA of fraudulent concealment in the suit filed in Northern California District Court.

In filing the claim, Flextronics has opted out of a class action lawsuit covering the same allegations.

According to a Flextronics statements, the defendants “knowingly and intentionally engaged in a conspiracy to fix, raise, maintain and/or stabilize prices in the United States and elsewhere for resistors that were included in finished products imported to the US.” The Japanese companies directly discussed "the price, output, capacity and other competitively sensitive data,” the suit says. Flextronics claims that when it purchased linear resistors from Hokuriku, trade was limited and prices were inflated.

Flextronics is requesting a jury trial and a judgment of triple the amount of suffered damages, as well as attorneys’ fees and related legal costs.

Hokuriku and Rohm are among the component makers involved in a separate suit brought last year for similar claims. Other defendants in that case include Vishay, KOA Speer and Panasonic.

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