CLECAT calls for an urgent sector enquiry in the container shipping

In its press release dated 17 February 2022, CLECAT (the European Liaison Committee of the Freight Forwarding Industry to the EU Commission) informed about its request to the EU Commission to carry out a sector inquiry in the container shipping sector in order to eliminate unfair and discriminatory regulations. From CLECAT's point of view, European companies continue to face rising container shipping costs, record low reliability and limited service offerings.

The massive increases in freight rates over the last 18 months have led to high inflation and a rise in the cost of living in the European Union, as recently noted by the OECD. Furthermore, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, the US Department of Justice, the Canadian Competition Bureau, the New Zealand Commerce Commission and the UK Competition and Markets Authority have announced investigations into anti-competitive behaviour in container liner shipping. 

(Source: Committee of German Seaport Forwarders in the DSLV e.V.)