Australian shippers are taking a wait-and-see approach to a review by the country’s competition watchdog on whether to continue the class exemption for container shipping companies from competition laws. The head of the government panel says those exemptions are becoming “harder to justify.”

Australia’s competition watchdog says terminal infrastructure charges have surged more than 60 percent in the past year, prompting shippers to press for government intervention.

WWO says it will fully cooperate with Australia’s ongoing ro-ro cartel investigation that had already ensnared Japanese firms NYK and “K” Line.

Toepfer’s multipurpose index posted a slight gain as of mid-August as competitors stayed occupied elsewhere and one large freight contract was awarded.