The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) is reportedly preparing to issue exclusion orders to four major construction firms over their alleged collusion on the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway construction project. These exclusion orders, if issued, will temporarily prevent the companies from participating in government-led construction projects in order to stem further anti-competitive behavior. The talk of collusion has reportedly been ongoing for several months and has raised concerns over free market competition in the Japanese construction sector.

In Japan, public construction projects represent a substantial part of the economy. Collusion among businesses, known as 'dango', is an illegal practice that restricts competition, affects market prices, and undermines public trust. So, Japanese regulatory authorities have been uncompromising in dealing with businesses that engage in such practices as a part of their commitment to maintaining open and fair competition.

In the US and EU, issues of business collusion are often prosecuted and penalized severely. Just like in Japan, regulatory authorities in these jurisdictions tend to take an aggressive stance against such anti-competitive behavior, which can include fines, exclusion orders, or even criminal charges against the firms engaged in collusion.