The Japan Fair Trade Commission found that Oji Container had violated the Subcontract Act by having printing plates and cutting dies stored free of charge from June 2024 to November 2025, and recommended measures to prevent recurrence. The company, a subsidiary of Oji Holdings, is subject to the action.
The Japan Fair Trade Commission found that 140 businesses commissioned to manufacture corrugated cardboard had been made to store 9,610 printing plates and cutting dies free of charge. Many of the printing plates and dies were approximately 1 metre long and wide and had reportedly not been used for an extended period. The practice continued from June 2024 to November 2025.
The Small and Medium Enterprise Agency investigated the matter and submitted a request to the JFTC last month seeking a recommendation. The JFTC and the SME Agency said their interviews to date had confirmed that the free storage of printing plates had become an industry practice. Following the recommendation, they called on industry associations to review the practice.
As a follow-up to the recommendation, the Federation of Corrugated Box Industrial Associations was asked to review commercial practices. Oji Container, a subsidiary of Oji Holdings, has been identified as the company at the centre of the matter.