Five of the world’s shipping majors stand the chance of losing R2.9 billion after accusations that they were running a cartel which inflated transport costs for the delivery of imported cars to the United Kingdom between 2006 and 2015.
MOL, K Line, NYK, WWL/EUKOR and CSAV are being sued by Mark McLaren, a member on the Consumer Panel of the Legal Services Board, who claims that UK consumers were overcharged by carriers during the nine-year period.
“When UK consumers and businesses purchased or leased a new car, they paid more for the delivery of that car than they should have done, as a result of a long-running cartel by five of the world’s leading maritime shipping companies,” said McLaren.
The shipping giants face the possibility of repaying around R1 100 per car.
A host of luxury and mainstream car brands are included in the claim which was filed to the Competition Appeals Tribunal under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and will be headed by law firm Scott and Scott.
The latest legal action comes after a ruling by the European Commission in 2018 where the commission determined that the ship liners were guilty and ordered them to pay a R6.6 billion fine. – Bjorn Vorster
