JOC Staff | Dec 20, 2012 2:45PM EST
The European Shippers’ Council, which represents freight transportation interests in Europe, has held a meeting to respond to anti-competitive developments in the shipping liner market.
Many reefer shippers have just announced general rate increases of $1,500 per refrigerated container, effective Jan. 1, 2013, and a number of shipowners recently hiked rates for containers shipped from Asia to the Mediterranean by 66 percent and from China to North Europe by 35 percent.
The rate increases are surprising because of the oversupply of liner capacity coupled with low demand for it, as well as the seasonal downturn, the ESC said.
The organization has said it will raise the issue at the European Commission level and request DG Competition to launch a special investigation.
