Aisan Industry Co. Ltd., an Obu, Japan-based company, will plead guilty and pay a criminal fine of $6.86 million for its role in a price-fixing conspiracy involving electronic throttle bodies sold in the United States and elsewhere.

Federal officials alleged that Aisan engaged in a conspiracy to rig bids for, and to fix, stabilize and maintain the prices of electronic throttle bodies sold to Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. and certain of its subsidiaries in the United States and elsewhere.

Federal officials alleged that Aisan and its co-conspirators carried out the price-fixing conspiracy through meetings and conversations in which they discussed and agreed upon bids and price quotations for electronic throttle bodies.

Aisan’s involvement in the conspiracy to fix prices of electronic throttle bodies lasted from at least as early as October 2003 until at least February 2010.

Aisan manufactures and sells automotive electronic throttle bodies, which are part of the air intake system in an engine that controls the amount of air flowing into an engine’s combustion chamber.

By controlling air flow within an engine, the electronic throttle body controls engine speed.

Including Aisan, 25 corporations have pled guilty or agreed to plead guilty in the department’s investigation into price fixing and bid rigging in the auto parts industry.

The companies have agreed to pay a total of more than $1.8 billion in fines.  Additionally, 28 individuals have been charged.

Aisan is charged with price fixing in violation of the Sherman Act, which carries a maximum penalty of a $100 million criminal fine for corporations.