End in sight for EU box line price signalling probe

摘要

The European Commission is hoping to reach a settlement soon with leading container lines on their pricing practices, bringing to a close a probe that dates back more than four years. CI understands that carriers would have to publish actual spot rates rather than only tell their customers the size of intended price changes. The new system would mark an end to general rate increases, or GRIs, in effect a legacy of the conference system that was abolished in Europe seven years ago. Contract rates, negotiated bilaterally and covering agreements of three, six, 12 months or longer, would be unaffected.