PARIS, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The French competition authority has fined 20 companies and the TLF industry body a total of 670.9 million euros ($739 million) for colluding over annual price hikes in the period from 2004 to 2010, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

The companies named by the regulator are Alloin, BMVirolle, Chronopost, Exapaq (now DPD France), Ciblex, Dachser France, DHL Express France, FedEx Express France, Gefco, Geodis, GLS France, Heppner, Lambert et Valette, XP France, Norbert Dentressangle Distribution, Normatrans, Schenker-Joyau (now Schenker France), TNT Express France, Transports Henri Ducros and Ziegler France.

“Meetings were organised regularly before and after new pricing rounds, which enabled the companies to homogenise their price demands and secure their commercial negotiations,” the competition watchdog said.

“The discussions were kept secret and there was no official record taken.”

The watchdog also announced an additional fine of 1.4 million euros for 15 of the companies, as well as the TLF union, relating to a diesel surcharge. ($1 = 0.9075 euros) (Reporting by James Regan; Editing by Andrew Callus; Editing by Andrew Callus)