[170311.EN.SEA] Shippers' Calls For Anti-Trust Laws 'Emotional' And Outmoded: TSA

Shippers' cries for US anti-trust laws is "emotional" and resulted from fear during the 2009 global downturn, says the Transpacific Stabilisation Agreement (TSA), the chief target of shipper protest.

TSA executive administrator Brian Conrad said the removal of shipping conferences would remove the shipper/carrier debate and their collective aim for "predictability", according to London's Containerisation International.

"Shippers and carriers are trying to work more closely together, with the TSA's shipper and carrier boards, and they can only do this and talk because the anti-trust immunity is in place. If it was taken away, there could be no single body through which these talks could take place," he added.

The sentiment was echoed in the keynote address by Hong Kong's Orient Overseas International Ltd (OOIL) chief executive, CC Tung, at the Journal of Commerce's Trans-Pacific Maritime conference in Long Beach.

Mr Tung spoke of the EU shipping cartel ban creating a "vacuum" of information in the container industry at a time when transparency is needed, with government intervention when necessary.

"This is short-sighted and threatens the stability of business and is proven to increase market instability," he said. "There needs to be a free flow of information."

Source : HKSG, 14.03.11.