The Competition Commission (CC) will analyse data and documents to determine whether six shipping companies have contravened the Competition Act and were involved in price fixing.
So said CC commissioner, Tembinkosi Bonakele, in a statement released after the commission conducted a search and seizure operation at the premises of the six companies operating in the Western Cape and KwaZulu Natal provinces.
Bonakele said the CC had “reasonable grounds” to suspect that the SA operations of CMA CGM, Hamburg Sud, Maersk, MSC, PIL and Safmarine had been engaging in collusive practices to, inter alia (amongst others), fix the incremental rates for the shipment of cargo from Asia to SA.
The search and seizure operation was conducted as part of an ongoing investigation which was initiated by the commission based on information from a member the public. During the search, the CC seized documents and electronic data, which will be analysed together with other information gathered to determine whether these companies have contravened the Competition Act.
“South Africa is a strategic hub for the trade of goods in and out of the Southern African region. Any cartel by shipping liners in this region results in inflated prices for cargo transportation. Cartels of this nature increase the costs of trading in the region and render the region uncompetitive in the world markets. Such cartels have the effect of significantly derailing the economic growth of the region," said Bonakele.
