The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia ) has initiated investigation of price-fixing, cartel agreement in the market of international container shipping against Russian agents of largest container carriers, the antitrust service said Wednesday in a press release.
The FAS said the probe (violation of Clause 1 Part 1 of Art. 11 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”) will be carried out against: Maersk CJSC, Mediterranean Shipping Company (Rus) LLC, CMA CGM (Rus) LLC, APL CIS LLC, “K” Line (Rus) LLC, NYK Line (Rus) LLC, OOCL Russia Limited, China Shipping Agency Russia LLC, Hyundai Merchant Marine CIS LLC, ZIM RUSSIA CJSC, COSCO RUSSIA LLC, Evergreen Shipping Agency Russia Ltd., Ocean Container Services MSK LLC.
The probe was initiated on the materials obtained during dozens of unscheduled field inspections of economic entities, including Russian agents of ocean container operators carried out by the FAS Russia jointly with the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs this year.
“Currently, ocean container shipments have a significant impact on the development of international trade. The cost of such transport makes up a significant share in the price of goods and price collusion in this market can have an extremely negative impact on the global economy as well as on the economy of seperate states”, FAS Russia deputy chief Alexander Kanev was quoted as saying.
