Drewry sides with those wanting extension to block exemption for joint liner services

Drewry has waded into the debate over the European Commission’s consultation on the block exemption afforded to container lines serving the EU, which is due to expire in April 2020.
The consultant said it could see “validity in both points of view” – those for an extension of the block exemption, and those against – but said shippers should “not fear alliances”, which, it contended, had actually “aided competition during a …

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https://theloadstar.co.uk/drewry-sides-wanting-extension-block-exemption-joint-liner-services/

Major box carriers to launch association to harmonise digitalisation in shipping

Shipping lines from each of the alliances have formed an association in a bid to develop “digitalisation, standardisation and interoperability”.
The move follows last week’s announcement of a joint blockchain platform comprising the Ocean Alliance and Yang Ming from THE Alliance, which triggered questions as to how the industry would standardise, given Maersk’s involvement with rival platform TradeLens.
But while all the alliances are represented in the new association, it includes only Maersk,...

https://theloadstar.co.uk/major-box-carriers-launch-association-harmonise-digitalisation-shipping/

HMM’s losses mount as rising costs wipe out profit from increased business in Q3

South Korean ocean carrier HMM recorded a net loss of $148m in the third quarter, to take its trading deficit to $519m for the nine-month period.
“In spite of HMM’s efforts in cutting costs and improvement in its revenue and handling volume, the net loss continued in Q3 due to an increase in bunker costs and a delay in regional rate recovery,” said the carrier.
This loss, in the traditionally most lucrative …

The post HMM’s losses mount as rising costs wipe out profit from increased business in...

https://theloadstar.co.uk/hmms-losses-mount-rising-costs-wipe-profit-increased-business-q3/

Container line alliances reduce shipper choice, says ITF as the EC reviews the rules

The EU should end the block exemption against forming consortia the liner shipping industry currently enjoys, says a new report from the OECD-funded International Transport Forum.
In September, the European Commission reopened its investigation into the block exemption which allows carriers to operate alliances on trades that serve the EU.
Brought into law in 2010 – following the EU’s decision to outlaw the conference system that allowed shipping lines to jointly set freight rates – the...

https://theloadstar.co.uk/container-line-alliances-reduce-shipper-choice-says-itf-ec-reviews-rules/

A marketshare conundrum for liners, as expiry of EC block exemption nears

In a year and half, the deepsea alliance structure could find itself on the wrong side of European competition legislation.
Yesterday, the European Commission reopened its investigation into the block exemption that currently applies to container shipping, and which allows them to operate alliances on trades that serve the EU.
Brought into law in 2010 – following the EU’s decision to outlaw the old conference system that allowed shipping lines to jointly set freight rates – the …

The post A...

https://theloadstar.co.uk/marketshare-conundrum-liners-expiry-ec-block-exemption-nears/