CHINA’S anti-monopoly regulator Thursday announced its first-ever punishment of foreign carmakers for price-fixing, fining Volkswagen AG and Fiat’s Chrysler a combined US$46 million.

    The penalty raised the possibility of similar fines being levied against other global players such Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz and Tata Motor Ltd.’s Jaguar Land Rover, which are being probed for possible anti-competitive behavior.

    The Shanghai branch of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a statement it would fine Chrysler’s China sales unit 32 million yuan (US$5.22 million) for operating a price monopoly.

    The price regulator in Hubei Province announced it would fine the sales unit of FAW-Volkswagen Automobile Co. Ltd., one of Volkswagen’s two China carmaking ventures, 249 million yuan for price-fixing at its Audi sales unit.

    Three Chrysler dealers in Shanghai and eight Audi dealers in Hubei would also be fined.(SD-Agencies)