News / Shippers and carriers on a collision course over looming Hong Kong competition law

Photo: © Vichaya Kiatying-angsulee

Shipping lines operating in Hong Kong could soon fall foul of new competition laws, unless their application for a block exemption is accepted.

In a statement last month to the newly formed Hong Kong Competition Commission, the Hong Kong Liner Shipping Association (HKLSA) argued that vessel-sharing agreements (VSAs) and vessel discussion agreements (VDAs) were integral to Hong Kong’s status in the shipping world.

It said the agreements – which form the basis of commonly used container shipping alliances – played “a critical ...