Bosch, Other HVAC Firms Accused of Equipment Price-Fixing Cartel

Robert Bosch GmbH and other leading HVAC firms were sued in federal court for colluding to inflate prices for equipment sold in the US while misleadingly blaming Covid-19 induced supply chain disruptions for the higher costs.

Bosch and its co-conspirators have exchanged competitive data and restricted manufacturing output since 2020, according to a proposed class action filed Monday in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Their conduct allegedly overcharged buyers billions of dollars for equipment such as chillers and air handling units.

Other defendants include Ireland’s Trane Technologies PLC, Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US LLC, Lennox ...