TOKYOJul 30 (News On Japan) – The Fair Trade Commission has launched an on-site investigation into the Japanese subsidiary of American motorcycle giant Harley-Davidson, alleging that the company has imposed excessive sales quotas on its dealers in violation of antitrust laws.
According to sources, Harley-Davidson Japan allegedly set unreasonably high sales targets for its authorized dealers from around 2020 to 2021. These quotas were reportedly difficult to meet through normal business operations. Dealers were informed that failure to meet these targets could result in non-renewal of their dealer contracts.
Some dealers started buying motorcycles themselves to meet the quota, while others got into financial trouble and eventually went bankrupt. There are also allegations that dealers were forced to buy models they did not want.
The Fair Trade Commission is investigating the details and believes Harley-Davidson Japan has abused its strong position over dealers to repeatedly enforce these practices.
Source: ANNE
