Freight forwarder association Clecat is asking the EC competition directorate to urgently investigate what it claims are “distortions” in the liner shipping market, reported Euractiv.
Clecat wrote to commissioner Margrethe Vestager calling for the regulator to establish “the degree of concentration, consolidation, coordination, and cartelisation in the upstream container liner shipping services markets serving the EU, and the downstream markets for freight forwarding services”.
Clecat director general Nicolette van der Jagt told The Loadstar that, at the centre of the market distortions was the Consortia Block Exemption Regulation (CBER), which allows significant collaboration between lines, meaning that they can manage capacity in markets, thereby controlling costs.
In addition, Ms van der Jagt said the previous review of the CBER had been “superficial”, which meant that the EC had not been able to “make an informed decision”.
The review into the current CBER is expected to begin in the spring, and Clecat believes the EC “must consider the impact of vertical integration has had on the market”.
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
