Antitrust Investigations Archives - The Loadstar

UK regulator delays GXO’s Wincanton takeover, due to ‘competition concerns’

Gavin van Marle — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 12:35:43 +0000

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the country’s chief competition regulator, has delayed GXO’s takeover of Wincanton.
The CMA said today it had completed its ‘Phase 1’ investigation into the deal and concluded that it “could reduce competition in the supply of mainstream contract logistics services in the UK”.
GXO has been given five working days to “submit proposals to address the CMA’s concerns.
“If suitable proposals are not submitted, the CMA ...

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FMC approves Gemini Cooperation despite anti-competitive ‘concerns’

Alex Lennane — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 12:17:21 +0000

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has admitted to “questions and concerns” over whether the Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd Gemini Cooperation will have anti-competitive consequences.
Following a statement saying the FMC had reviewed the cooperation agreement, “within the statutory timeframe” and had decided not to seek an injunction against the deal – the only tool at its disposal – FMC chairman Daniel Maffei put out another statement.
“The Gemini Cooperation Agreement will take effect ...

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Box lines in legal battle with South Korea’s antitrust body over fines

Alex Lennane — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 11:52:10 +0000

More than 20 liner operators look set for a protracted legal battle with the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC).
They have filed individual lawsuits with the Seoul High Court, challenging a fine imposed in 2022 for colluding to fix South Korea-South-east Asia tradelanes.
In January 2022, 23 liner operators, including 14 South Korean operators and others including Evergreen, Cosco, Maersk Sealand, Yang Ming, HMM and SM Line, were fined a total of ...

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EC competition commission clears CMA CGM’s Bolloré takeover

Gavin van Marle — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 12:19:37 +0000

The European Commission’s competition regulators have cleared CMA CGM’s acquisition of French freight forwarding group Bolloré Logistics – on condition it sells some of its Caribbean subsidiaries.
Investigations by EC regulators concluded that in certain markets – notably Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana – the takeover would have “created important vertical links” between CMA CGM’s upstream container shipping activities on routes connecting Europe with French Caribbean territories, as well as Bolloré ...

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Integrators face probe into allegations of price-fixing at Indian airports

Alex Lennane — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 12:32:46 +0000

DHL, FedEx and UPS are among many logistics players facing the heat of scrutiny from India’s antitrust regulator, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), over alleged anti-competitive practices.
An investigation has reportedly been launched after CCI received complaints of companies’ cartel behaviour and price-fixing as they eye expansion in the booming e-commerce market. The complaint was led by the Federation of Indian Publishers (FIP), according to industry sources.
The companies in the ...

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UK forwarders welcome CMA axe for CBER – but it’s not a done deal, yet

Gavin van Marle — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 17:22:00 +0000

UK forwarders have welcomed news that the country’s competition regulator is expected to follow the lead of its EU counterpart and allow the liner shipping Consortia Block Exemption Regulation to lapse when expires on 24 April next year.
The CBER was part of vast tranche of EU laws retained in UK law following Brexit.
On Friday, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said that, following industry consultation, it “no longer proposes ...

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Asian carriers will be hit harder by CBER demise than European peers

Gavin van Marle — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 12:43:28 +0000

Asian box lines possess far fewer large containerships than their European peers and may be more adversely affected by the EC decision last week not to renew consortia block exemption regulation (CBER) when the immunity expires on 25 April 2024.
Former Yang Ming chairman Bronson Hsieh told Taiwanese newspaper ETToday that 20% to 50% of European carriers’ slots were placed in alliances, while for the Asian carriers, the percentage was 70% ...

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The end of the CBER may restore trust between shippers and carriers

Gavin van Marle — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 11:40:29 +0000

“What we are really hoping for now is that some trust can be re-established between shippers and shipping lines,” Global Shippers Forum director James Hookham told The Loadstar this week.
He was reflecting on last week’s decision from the EC not to renew liner shipping’s controversial Consortia Block Exemption Regulation (CBER).
“It was very important that the commission looked at how it [the CBER] was operating during a very defined period – ...

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OceanX: The Big Bang Theory, but now what?

Alessandro Pasetti — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 11:37:40 +0000

Back in Switzerland from Morocco on Wednesday, which represented my fourth time in Africa this year and further underlined the massive potential of the continent. Reading through the IMF report published last week, much of the dark green – the strongest GDP growth regions apart from Asia – will be on the African continent.
Yes, we are still talking small numbers hidden behind those higher percentages, but it is progress. ...

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Allez les Alliances after EU CBER ruling

Gavin van Marle — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 12:24:42 +0000

The alliance system is dead, long live the alliance system!
Ok, so: here’s a quick recap of the latest from some true heavyweights in our industry.
Yesterday’s announcement that the European Commission has decided not to renew the controversial Consortia Block Exemption Regulation (CBER) for container shipping lines was welcomed in equal measure by their customers and suppliers, and met with relative equanimity by shipping lobby groups.
First things first – the removal ...

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