Abstract:
The European Commission, which has responsibility for enforcing the EU's antitrust rules, announced that it has raided the offices of a number of companies active in the container liner shipping sector. Raids of this kind are carried out when the Commission has reason to believe that companies have violated the EU’s antitrust rules prohibiting cartels or other restrictive agreements and abuse of a dominant market position. History tells us that investigations of this kind often lead to further proceedings and investigations from other jurisdictions. Companies that are active in the liner sector or related sectors, whether in the EU or elsewhere, may wish to take the opportunity to promptly undertake a review of their businesses to determine whether this investigation gives rise to new business risks or otherwise alters their risk profile.
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