News / German competition authority backs reform of box line block exemption

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Germany’s competition authority, the Bundeskartellamt, has backed opponents of any plan to extend the box line block exemption (CBER) and said it should be reformed, or phased out.

As the EC looks into whether to extend the exemption after April 2024, shippers, and now the Bundeskartellamt, argue that instead, the regulations should be changed.

Noting the power in the market of the large shipping lines, which are also a significant presence in verticals such as ports and forwarding, the Bundeskartellamt said: “If CBER ...