The government decided on Friday to prohibit the reselling of rice purchased at retail shops to ensure that rice reserves recently released at lower prices will stably reach consumers.
Under the ban, which will take effect June 23, those who sell rice at a higher price than they paid at supermarkets and online shops will face up to one year in prison, a fine of up to 1 million yen, or both. ……
That gets in the way of corporations making money out of “normal market movements”. Its just supply and demand when companies do it, the moment the working class tries to do the same they find themselves getting punished. If its illegal its going to need to be illegal for companies too and this means governments have to start doing their job again and reigning in corporate criminality.
We’re discussing things purchased at retail, as stated in the first sentence of the article and indicated in my comment by the word scalping. Not wholesale markets.