Yun Chee News

Cargo shipping companies will from next year no longer enjoy a decades-long exemption from EU rules against anti-competitive agreements because this derogation does not boost competition any more, EU antitrust regulators said on Tuesday.First adopted in 2009, the Consortia Block Exemption Regulation (CBER) allows liner shipping operators with a combined market share below 30% to team up to provide joint cargo transport services as long as they do not fix prices or share markets between themselves.The European Commission said it would let the exemption, extended in 2014 and 2020, to lapse in Ap

The European Commission is helping the United Nations and Turkey try to extend a deal allowing the Black Sea export of Ukraine grain and is open to "explore all solutions," a European Union spokesperson said on Thursday, ahead of the deal's possible expiration on Monday.The U.N. and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative with Russia and Ukraine in July 2022 to help alleviate a global food crisis worsened by Moscow's invasion and blockade of Ukrainian ports. Ukraine and…

European Union countries agreed to set price caps on Russian refined oil products to limit Moscow's funds for its invasion of Ukraine, the Swedish presidency of the EU said on Friday.EU diplomats said the price caps are $100 per barrel on products that trade at a premium to crude, principally diesel, and $45 per barrel for products that trade at a discount, such as fuel oil and naphtha. Ambassadors for the 27 EU countries agreed on the European Commission proposal,which will apply from Sunday.The price caps…

EU antitrust regulators will decide by Feb. 13 whether to clear U.S.

Spain on Monday won backing from Europe's top court in its mutlimillion euros damage claim against The London Steam-Ship Owners Mutual Insurance Association for a massive oil spill on its northwestern coast two decades ago.The 2002 sinking of the Greek oil tanker Prestige, which was sailing to Gibraltar, released an estimated 63,000 tones of foul-smelling black fuel along the Galicia coast and forced the closure of Spain's richest fishing grounds.It led to a lengthy dispute between The London Steam-Ship Owners' Mutual Insurance Association Limited…

Cargotec and Konecranes on Thursday won EU antitrust clearance for their 4.5-billion-euro ($5 billion) deal to create a global leader in industrial machinery after agreeing to divest some businesses.The companies, which provide road and sea-cargo handling machinery and services to industries, factories, ports and terminals, announced their tie-up in October last year.The European Commission said the companies' remedies addressed its concerns that the deal may hurt competition and lead to higher prices, confirming a Reuters story on Feb.

Hyundai Heavy Industries' proposed takeover of rival Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co Ltd to create the world's biggest shipbuilder was hit with an EU veto on Thursday on concerns that the deal would hurt competition.Hyundai, one of the largest shipbuilders in the world, announced the deal in 2019 in part to tackle overcapacity in the sector.The shipyard, which sought EU antitrust approval for the takeover in November 2019, said it may challenge the EU prohibition and…

South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries' proposed acquisition of rival Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co Ltd is set for an EU antitrust veto after the companies declined to offer remedies to allay competition concerns, people familiar with the matter said.Hyundai, one of the largest shipbuilders in the world and which had announced the deal in 2019 in part due to overcapacity in the sector, said on Friday it expected unconditional European Commission clearance for the deal.That is unlikely after an informal offer of remedies…

EU antitrust regulators have resumed their investigation into Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings Co Ltd's bid for rival Daewoo Shipbuilding after a temporary halt of more than a year, setting a Jan. 20 deadline for their decision on the deal.The European Commission, which paused its probe in July last year while waiting for the companies to provide requested data, had previously expressed concerns that the deal could inflate prices and reduce competition in cargo shipbuilding.The EU competition enforcer resumed its probe on Nov.

Italy’s plan to create a European shipbuilding champion through Fincantieri’s bid for France’s Chantiers de l’Atlantique will be decided by the end of December, its chairman said on Monday, amid signs the deal is in trouble.Italy hopes the tie-up will help state-controlled Fincantieri, Europe’s biggest shipyard, better compete with rivals from Asia and elsewhere.Fincantieri, whose clients include Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises, MSC and Disney Cruise Line…

The world's biggest shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings Co Ltd is discussing concessions with EU antitrust regulators to allay concerns over its $1.8 billion bid for rival Daewoo, people familiar with the matter said.The deal, in part a response to overcapacity in the sector, would reinforce the South Korean company’s top position with a 21% market share, and comes as rivals in China and Singapore make inroads.The European Commission, which opened a full-scale investigation into the deal last December on concerns it could inflate prices and reduce competition in cargo shipbuilding…

EU antitrust regulators have again halted their investigation into world No.

Gauging the market impact of Italian shipyard Fincantieri's bid for France's Chantiers de l'Atlantique is proving difficult and is likely to take some time, the European Union's antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said on Tuesday.Italy sees the deal by Europe's largest shipyard as an opportunity to create a European industrial champion in the shipbuilding industry to better compete with rivals from Asia and other regions.EU antitrust enforcers, however, worry the deal between two global leaders in an already concentrated and capacity-constrained market could push up prices for cruise ships.The

EU antitrust regulators have restarted their investigation into world No.

EU antitrust regulators have halted their investigation into world No.

Cargo shipping companies will be exempt from antitrust rules against anti-competitive agreements for a further four years until 2024 because this leads to lower prices and better consumer services, EU antitrust regulators said on Tuesday.First adopted in 2009 and extended for five years in 2014, the consortia block exemption regulation will be prolonged for four more years to April 2024, the European Commission said in a statement.It allows liner shipping operators with a combined market share below 30% to cooperate to provide joint liner shipping services…

European Union antitrust regulators have suspended their investigation into Fincantieri's bid for France's Chantiers de l'Atlantique while waiting for the Italian shipyard to provide requested data.The European Commission's website shows it halted the probe on March 13. Prior to that, it had been scheduled to rule on the case by April 17."This procedure in merger investigations is activated if the parties fail to provide, in a timely fashion, important information that the Commission has requested from them…

Italian shipyard Fincantieri has not offered any concessions to head off EU antitrust concerns about its planned bid for France's Chantiers de l'Atlantique, giving regulators no choice but to block the deal, people familiar with the matter said on Friday.A veto by European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager would deal a serious blow to Italy's bid to create a European industrial champion in shipbuilding to better compete with Asian rivals.Fincantieri declined to comment.

Italy's bid to create a European industrial champion in the shipbuilding industry faces hurdles after EU antitrust regulators said Fincantieri's bid for Chantiers de l'Atlantique would significantly reduce competition.The European Commission said the deal between two global leaders in an already concentrated and capacity-constrained market could push up prices for cruise ships as it began an investigation on Wednesday.Italy is hoping the deal will help Fincantieri, Europe's biggest shipyard…

Fincantieri risks an EU antitrust veto against its bid for Chantiers de l'Atlantique because of the difficulty of addressing regulators' concerns, people familiar with the matter said, in what would be a setback to Italy's industrial ambitions.Italy sees the deal by Europe's largest shipyard as an opportunity to create a European industrial champion in the shipbuilding industry to stave off competition from Asia and other regions.EU antitrust enforcers however are concerned that…

Europe's largest shipyard Fincantieri faces a full-scale EU antitrust investigation into its bid for France's Chantiers de l'Atlantique on concerns the deal would reduce competition, three people familiar with the matter said.The European Commission's preliminary review of the deal ends on Wednesday. It will follow up with an in-depth investigation, the sources said. This lasts 90 working days but could stretch to as long as five months.The EU competition enforcer is worried the number of European players will be cut to two from three as a result of the deal, the sources said. The other competitor is a German shipyard.Fincantieri has argued Asian shipyards could pose strong competition in the next decade to try to address the Commission's worries, the people said.

EU antitrust regulators launched on Wednesday a full-scale investigation into Italian shipyard Fincantieri's bid for France's Chantiers de l'Atlantique, saying the deal may reduce competition and push up prices for cruise ships.The European Commission said it was unlikely that the entry of other ship builders into the market would offset the possible negative effects of the deal, confirming a Reuters story on Oct. 29.The EU competition enforcer will now decide by 17 March whether to clear or block the deal.(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Francesco Guarascio)

World No. 1 shipping company Maersk Line gained EU antitrust approval on Monday for its acquisition of Hamburg Sud (HSDG) after agreeing to pull the German company out from five consortia on trade routes to address competition concerns. The bid by Maersk, part of Denmark's A.P. Moller-Maersk , underscores the wave of mergers in an industry struggling with over-capacity and slowing global trade. Hamburg Sud will withdraw from the consortia on trade routes connecting northern Europe to central America…