Asian shippers? councils keep liner antitrust immunity in sights

Asian shippersÆ councils keep liner antitrust immunity in sights    A group of Asian shippers' councils backed the European Union Competitiveness Council's recent decision to end liner carrier antitrust immunity in the European trades.
   The Asian councils hope this action will add pressure on governments to eliminate this privilege in other trades.
   In a statement released today, the Federation of ASEAN Shippers' Council and Asian Shippers' Council said the EC decision 'will usher in a new dawn for both shippers and carriers.
   'The EC's decision will prompt other governments to review and come up with the needed reform in the liner shipping sector,' the groups said.
   The groups concluded a round of meetings this week in Jakarta, Indonesia. In attendance were shippers' councils from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Australia, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Macau and Sri Lanka. The Japan Shippers' Council attended as observer.
   The federation and Asian Shippers' Council plan to keep up their fight against what they view as unjustified terminal handling charges (THCs) imposed on container traffic in Asian ports. This has been a source of contention for the region's shippers' councils since 1991.
   The groups noted that in Indonesia the THC has been recently reduced and the Chinese government has announced the conclusion of its investigation into the THC issue. The groups said THCs should be part of an 'all-in freight rate.'
   'Surcharges, if implemented, should be temporary in nature and should be removed when normality resumes,' the groups said. 'By having a simplified freight tariff after due consultations, there would be less confusion and disputes, thus paving the way for improved shipper-carrier relationships.'
   In addition, the federation and Asian Shippers' Council cautioned that governments need to implement cargo security programs in ways that do not 'end up crippling the very systems they are designed to protect.'