Maersk Sealand leaves two Latin, Caribbean conferences

Maersk Sealand leaves two Latin, Caribbean conferences    Maersk Sealand has left the Venezuelan Discussion Agreement and the ABC Discussion Agreement, two carrier groups in the Latin and Caribbean trades to and from the United States.
   Maersk Sealand said the moves are not related to its pending takeover of P&O Nedlloyd, but was because these carrier agreements are inactive.
   The remaining members of the Venezuelan Discussion Agreement are Hamburg-Sud, King Ocean, SeaFreight Line and Seaboard Marine.
   Carriers that still belong to the ABC Discussion Agreement — an agreement covering the trade between the United States and Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao — are Hamburg-Sud, King Ocean and SeaFreight Line.
   Earlier this week, Maersk Sealand said it offered to pull P&O Nedlloyd from some of its existing conferences and consortia agreements involving Europe, if requested by European Union antitrust authorities.
   There are seven European conferences involved covering mainly the regions of Australia-New Zealand, Africa and East Africa.
   Maersk Sealand said the offer to withdraw is related only to some of the conferences and consortia involving Europe where P&O Nedlloyd is a member but not Maersk Sealand.