Russia: Container lines challenge antitrust ruling

Global container lines operating in Russia that were found guilty of collusion in 2012 and 2013 plan are appealing the decision of Russia’s Federal Anti-Monopoly Service by arguing the practice of setting surcharges was allowed at the time and any simultaneous increases were coincidental.

Maersk Line, CMA CGM, Hyundai Merchant Marine, OOCL, and Evergreen Line, on Thursday asked the Moscow Arbitration Court to annul the FAS decision from Dec., 15 2015. During the preliminary hearings, the FAS asked the court to combine all the claims into one and the next hearings are scheduled for April 12.

The FAS argues he companies violated the On the Protection of Competition federal law through their coordinated setting of surcharges for services connecting Russia and the Far East.

The law says that such actions are illegal if the combined market share of competing companies involved is more than 20 percent. Each of the companies involved have a market share of at least 8 percent.

The FAS said its investigation found that once the surcharges were published on the website of one carrier, the surcharges would be adopted by others.

Full content: Port News

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