Import News: Government to Review Shipping Cartels

Import News from the Importers Institute

8 May 2000 - Government to Review Shipping Cartels

The Government intends to review the exemptions and exceptions for shipping included in the Commerce Act, says Acting Minister of Commerce Trevor Mallard.

The Minister was responding to an earlier item of Import News, "Executives Caught Fixing Prices", 19 March 2000, in which we revealed that an exemption to the Act allowed six shipping companies to collectively raise their prices by more than $700 for a 20ft container imported from the US.

Mr Mallard told the Importers Institute the Government was "committed to a fair and competitive shipping policy" and had extended the final reporting deadline for the review from June this year to 31 March 2001.

The Government also intends to appoint the New Zealand Shipping Industry Review Team to conduct an inquiry into the future of the shipping industry. The Importers Institute has written to the Minister of Transport, Mark Gosche, to register an interest in that review.

The Importers Institute welcomes the Government's commitment to a fair and competitive shipping policy.

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