The U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) announced actions Monday to reaffirm and strengthen their commitment to jointly enforce competition laws to promote fair competition in the…
https://gcaptain.com/united-states-ramps-up-competition-oversight-in-ocean-shipping/
The U.S. Department of Justice is now targeting a wider swath of transportation companies that it deems may be using supply chain disruption to gouge customers
The initiative, which DOJ announced Thursday, broadens the scope of the Biden administration’s heightened scrutiny of anticompetitive behavior in various industry segments, including transportation.
“The lingering challenge of supply chain disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic has created an opportunity for criminals to fix prices and...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/doj-expands-scrutiny-of-possible-supply-chain-profiteers
Antitrust insights in shipping – recapping 2021 and preparing for 2022
At a Glance…It’s a new year, but the pandemic continues to cause supply chain disruptions worldwide, and there is no end in sight with the omicron variant exacerbating the global traffic jam. Surges in demand combined with clogged transportation systems have caused the cost of moving cargo to skyrocket. U.S. ports are overwhelmed with imported containers. It has become common to ship empty containers back to Asia because it...
The Federal Trade Commission’s mission is to protect consumers and businesses against anticompetitive, deceptive and unfair business practices, but historically it hasn’t touched ocean shipping.
Overseeing competition in sea freight is the primary jurisdiction of the Federal Maritime Commission. The Department of Justice gets involved if international container lines engage in anticompetitive behavior outside antitrust immunity that allows discussion about rate guidelines for individual service...
By Charlotte Ryan (Bloomberg) — The British International Freight Association is calling on the U.K. government to investigate the state of competition within the global container-shipping market, as transportation costs remain…
By a vote of 364 to 60, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021 (OSRA) on Wednesday. The bipartisan legislation moves to the U.S. Senate, where lawmakers are preparing a companion bill they say will be introduced soon.
Spearheaded by Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., and Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., the bill gives the Federal Maritime Commission the power to impose minimum requirements on ocean carrier service contracts, and shifts the burden of proof...
https://www.freightwaves.com/news/house-passes-bill-expanding-powers-of-maritime-regulators
Maritime competition authorities from across the world are continuing to keep a close eye on the actions of ocean carriers amid the unprecedented cargo boom that has contributed to supply…
By Nick Savvides (The Loadstar) – Switzerland-based carrier MSC has roundly rejected complaints made by Pennsylvania home décor supplier MCS Industries and says it was “shocked to learn of the accusations”. MSC…
Geneva-based container line giant MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co. has denied allegations of collusion and contract violations by an American home furnishings manufacturer claiming its customer’s accusations are unsubstantiated.
MSC said it was “shocked” to learn of accusations made by Easton, Pennsylvania-based MCS Industries in a complaint filed at the Federal Maritime Commission. The complaint alleges that MSC, China’s COSCO Shipping Lines and their competitors are violating U.S. maritime laws...
A U.S. manufacturer is accusing two of the world’s largest ocean carriers of reneging on its container service contract for imports from Asia so that the carriers can instead charge other shippers exorbitant transportation rates on the spot market.
In a complaint filed on Wednesday with the Federal Maritime Commission, Easton, Pennsylvania-based MCS Industries, a maker of household furnishings, also accuses China’s COSCO Shipping Lines, Switzerland’s MSC Mediterranean Shipping and their...