TRI-PARTITE SHIPPER GROUPS BACK OECD’S LINER REFORM

TRI-PARTITE SHIPPER GROUPS BACK OECD’S LINER REFORM    The U.S. National Industrial Transportation League, European Shippers’ Council, Japan Shippers’ Council and other groups representing shippers declared that they support a “free and competitive liner operating environment” in shipping following their annual Tri-partite Shippers’ Meeting in Yokohama.
      Participants to the tri-partite meeting, held on Monday to Wednesday, said in a statement that a free and competitive environment “is preferable to one governed by artificial antitrust protections administered by national governments.” However, as in previous annual meetings, the shippers’ organizations did not call for the ending of the liner conference system. Contrary to the European Shippers’ Council, the Japanese shippers’ council and the NIT League do not support such a move.
   The organizations that met at the tri-partite meeting are the European Shippers’ Council, the Japan Shippers’ Council, the NIT League, the Canadian Shippers’ Council, the Korean Shippers’ Council, the Philippines Shippers' Bureau, the Hong Kong Shippers’ Council, the Thai National Shippers’ Council, the Singapore National Shippers’ Council and the Federation of Association of South East Asian Nations Shippers’ Councils.
   The tri-partite delegates “agreed that coordination and cooperation should be exercised with regard to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's current review into the effects of common pricing and the impact of discussion and stabilization agreements on shippers and shipowners,” the group said.
   Over the course of the last year, many shippers’ organizations within the tri-partite group have provided extensive responses for requests for information by the OECD, the group said.
   “The Tri-partite Shippers’ Meeting supports the OECD regulatory reform initiative,” it said.
   The tri-partite group agreed to assist the OECD in its ongoing review by:
   * Sending a joint letter expressing continued support for the OECD review efforts, and pledging to assist it in completing its work;
   * Providing comments on the anticipated discussion draft report that will be issued later this fall in advance of the planned December workshop;
   * Working with national governments in making them aware of the work of the OECD and encouraging similar inquiries; and
   * Assisting national governments regarding their own internal review of national laws affecting the collective activities of carriers.
   The tri-partite shipper group also discussed the issue of ocean carrier cargo liability and called for a new international convention. Among required changes, the so-called 'error of navigation' defense of carriers should be eliminated and liability limits should be increased, it said.