European Commission Fines Four Car Carriers $486.5mln
The European Commission (EC) said Wednesday that it had fined four maritime car carriers 395 million euros (U.S. $486.5 million). Four shipping companies – CSAV, K Line, NYK and WWL-Eukor – have been fined by the EC for collusion in operating a cartel on the car carrier trades, in breach of EU antitrust rules. All companies acknowledged their involvement in the cartels and agreed to settle the cases. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy said:"The Commission has sanctioned several companies for colluding in the maritime transport of cars and the supply of car parts.The three separate decisions taken today show that we will not tolerate anticompetitive behaviouraffecting European consumers and industries.
Slow Discharge Strands Tankers
Seven tankers carrying some 210,000 tons of petroleum products have been stranded outside the Dar es Salaam Port due to its slow discharging process, according to local press reports on Monday. These seven oil tankers arrived in Dar es Salaam in the third week of last month. Flow meters, installed at the port to curb tax evasion, are discharging oil from tankers at a rate of 500 tons per hour instead of 750 tons per hour. Local oil importers are fearing that retail prices of petrol and diesel might go up due to accumulated demurrage charges at the port. Earlier last month, car importers in Tanzania also complained about the handling capability of the Dar es Salaam Port that delayed the unloading of more than 1,000 motor vehicles from a roll-on/roll-off car carrier.
