Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Video | Agriculture | Confidence | Economy | Energy | Employment | Finance | Media | Property | RBNZ | Science | SOEs | Tax | Technology | Telecoms | Tourism | Transport | Search

 

Oz shipping lines criticise NZ Productivity Commission

Australian shipping companies criticise NZ Productivity Commission

Oct. 11 (BusinessDesk) – Shipping Australia is accusing the New Zealand Productivity Commission of poor number crunching when it concluded something needs to be done to stop shipping companies fixing prices.

The attack by the lobby group representing 35 shipping companies came in a submission to a draft report on strengthening trans-Tasman economic relations.

The New Zealand Productivity Commission was involved in the trans-Tasman study and in April published a separate report advocating regulatory clearance of price fixing and other anti-competitive arrangements in shipping. Shipping companies are exempt from competition law.

Shipping Australia found the New Zealand Productivity Commission’s freight report to be “extremely disappointing”.

“There was no economic analysis of the global state of international freight liner shipping or, in particular, the trans-Tasman trade between Australia and New Zealand,” the council said.

It would have been helpful if there had been rigorous economic analysis of the New Zealand situation, the council said.

There was nothing to suggest that the removal of the exemption from competition law would be in the public interest or in the interests of exporter and importers.

The council also argued that exemptions to international shipping companies were common and they had recently been extended by both Japan and Singapore.

The council wants the productivity commission to recommend only that more studies be undertaken on the issue.

(BusinessDesk)

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Business Headlines | Sci-Tech Headlines

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.