· As part of the continued review and political scrutiny of the shipping industry after the pandemic, the president has pushed for a legislative intervention to improve the import and export process. This review has forced some changes and clarifications in regulations and congress is now considering the possibility of stripping carriers of their anti-trust immunity. This would make it make it harder for carriers to operate in alliances as well as affect vessel-sharing agreements.
· The real question is will this push a positive change in the industry. This is not an easy question to answer as debates are still going on, in an effort of interrupting the carriers’ actions that lead to record high profits. Did carriers simply get the better hand in a rapidly changing market dictated by basic supply and demand crisis during the pandemic or are they mafia style characters that engaged in collusion and even price gouging to raise profits to new heights.
· No matter which of these possibilities are the case this legislation would likely force carriers into a new round of consolidation to avoid legal risks. And would likely cause smaller carriers to merge to stay in competition but decreasing shipping options overall.
Friday April 21, 2023
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