Review and Evaluation of Analyses on the Economic Impact of Rate and Service Cooperation by Ocean Liner Companies

摘要

The purpose of this report is to identify and discuss the literature regarding liner shipping conferences. Because the objective of this report is to facilitate access to the work of other writers, those writers were permitted to present their own views. At certain points, the author has included his own analysis of the literature and issues at hand. The first section of the report examines the argument that liner shipping has unique characteristics that call for special public policy, while the second section examines the ability of liner conferences to inhibit competition. In the final section, the issue of conference efforts at 'rationalization' of liner services is examined.