Biden confronts consolidation, unfair pricing in container shipping
The Biden administration has issued a new executive order tackling the consolidation in the container shipping industry as well as anti-competitive pricing, among others.
Over the past few years, the container shipping industry consolidated into a small number of giant foreign-owned lines and alliances, which can disadvantage American exporters, the White House statement reads.
In the Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, President Joe Biden has encouraged the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to “ensure vigorous enforcement against shippers charging American exporters exorbitant charges”.
Specifically, the order comes as the President wants to promote competition in the US economy and enable faster economic growth.
In the liner shipping sector, the global marketplace has rapidly consolidated. In 2000, the ten largest shipping companies controlled 12% of the market. Today, it is more than 80%, leaving domestic manufacturers who need to export goods at these large foreign companies’ mercy.
This has let powerful container shippers charge exporters exorbitant fees for the time their freight was sitting waiting to be loaded or unloaded. These fees, called “detention and demurrage charges,” can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Over the past few years, the container shipping industry consolidated into a small number of giant foreign-owned lines and alliances, which can disadvantage American exporters, the White House statement reads.
In the Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, President Joe Biden has encouraged the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to “ensure vigorous enforcement against shippers charging American exporters exorbitant charges”.
Specifically, the order comes as the President wants to promote competition in the US economy and enable faster economic growth.
In the liner shipping sector, the global marketplace has rapidly consolidated. In 2000, the ten largest shipping companies controlled 12% of the market. Today, it is more than 80%, leaving domestic manufacturers who need to export goods at these large foreign companies’ mercy.
This has let powerful container shippers charge exporters exorbitant fees for the time their freight was sitting waiting to be loaded or unloaded. These fees, called “detention and demurrage charges,” can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Source: World Maritime News