U.S. Justice Department launches probe against major container shippers
Companies receiving orders to testify include the world's biggest container shipper, Denmark's A.P. Moller-Maersk, and Hong Kong-based Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL).
The probe, which comes amid concerns about the impact of several proposed shipping alliances, will be a further blow for an industry that has been dogged by oversupply and hit by some high-profile bankruptcies.
"We can confirm that we conducted an operation," an FBI spokesman in San Francisco told Reuters on Wednesday. "It is part of an ongoing investigation and we are unable to release any additional details at this point." The U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment.
Maersk Line confirmed that it was issued with a subpoena related to a probe into the container shipping industry on March 15.
"The subpoena does not set out any specific allegations against Maersk Line," a Maersk Line spokesman said, adding that the company will fully cooperate with authorities.
The move came after the Justice Department raised concerns over possible anti-competitive behavior by container shippers with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) after shippers sought approval to form the Ocean and THE alliances.
Alliances allow shippers to pool their ships, co-ordinating sailing schedules and port calls to save money, but critics say they can lead to reduced services and increased prices. The two proposed alliances would cover about 45 percent of global container shipping capacity.
source: reuters.com
