Five leading container shipping lines have been ordered to appear before the US Justice Department in an antitrust investigation. Executives from Maersk, MSC, Hapag Lloyd, Evergreen and OOCL were subpoenaed according to Reuters.
The subpoenas were issued at a meeting of top container shipping executives last week in San Francisco. They are members of the International Council of Containership Operators, commonly known as the Box Club.
“We can confirm that we conducted an operation,” an FBI spokesman in San Francisco told Reuters on Wednesday. “It is part of an ongoing investigation and we are unable to release any additional details at this point.”
The case is believed to focus on price fixing allegations following the pooling alliances set up by carriers that critics say has led to higher prices and reduced services for customers.
The sector, which is suffering its worst slump in recent years due to a long period of overcapacity, has already been subject to pricing investigations in other markets including the European Union and South Africa.
Last year, the EU forced 14 carriers to change their pricing practices in order to avoid fines.
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