Dow Chemical sues four tanker shipping companies for price fixing

Dow Chemical sues four tanker shipping companies for price fixing    Dow Chemical Co. has filed lawsuits in the U.S. against four major parcel chemical tanker carriers — Odfjell, Stolt-Nielsen, Tokyo Marine and Jo Tankers.
   The big chemical manufacturer alleged violations of antitrust laws in the U.S., and is claiming damages, according to both Odfjell and wire services.
   The chemical tanker shipping companies were already under scrutiny from antitrust regulators in the U.S. and Europe. In February, officials of the European Commission and the European Free Trade Area raided the European offices of several operators of chemical tanker services to search for evidence of cartel practices. In September, Odfjell and its senior executives agreed to a fine of $42.5 million for the company and prison sentences of three to four months for two of its executives as part of a plea bargaining with the U.S. Department of Justice concerning market-fixing.