Mexico Fines Shipping Lines for RoRo Freight Collusion

MEXICO – The Mexican antitrust commission COFECE, has fined 7 international shipping lines a total of nearly 582 million pesos (approximately $32 million) following allegations that the shippers violated the country's competition laws by colluding to segment the market of ocean shipping services for RoRo cargo. The carriers involved have all seen heavy fines previously levied against them for a variety of anti-competitive practices worldwide, with each collecting several million dollars in fines as they go.

Chilean firm CSAV, Japanese shippers K Line and its regional office, K Line America, MOL and its North American business Mitsui OSK Bulk Shipping (MOBUSA), Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Norwegian headquartered Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) apparently agreed to carry RoRo cargo on different routes involving Mexican ports, entering into a total of nine agreements between 2009 and 2015 which saw the shippers divide the market amongst themselves, resulting in reduced competitive pressure and increased costs to the local automotive sector.

Companies Involved	Route	Period of Participation
K Line, NYK	Mexico - Argentina Mexico - Brazil	2011 - 2012
K Line, K Line America, MOL, MOBUSA	Mexico - Argentina Mexico - Brazil	2011 - 2012
K Line, MOL	Mexico - Argentina Mexico - Brazil	March - December 2012
MOL, NYK	Mexico - Argentina Mexico - Brazil Mexico - Chile	2012 - 2013
MOL, WWL	Mexico - Brazil	N/A
CSAV, NYK	Mexico - Argentina Mexico - Brazil Mexico- Colombia	2013 - 2015
NYK, K Line, K Line America	Mexico - Japan	2010 - 2012
NYK, K Line , MOL	Japan - Mexico	2010 - 2012
NYK, K Line	Thailand - Mexico Indonesia - Mexico	October 2011 - March 2012
NYK, WWL, MOL	Europe - Mexico	2012