Freight Forwarding
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EUROPEAN COMMISSION DG Competition CASE AT.39462 – Freight forwarding (Only the English and German text is authentic) CARTEL PROCEDURE Council Regulation (EC) 1/2003 and Commission Regulation (EC) 773/2004 Article 7 Regulation (EC) 1/2003 Date: 28/03/2012 This text is made available for information purposes only. A summary of this decision is published in all EU languages in the Official Journal of the European Union. Parts of this text have been edited to ensure that confidential information is not disclosed. Those parts are replaced by a non-confidential summary in square brackets or are shown as […]. EN EN EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 28.3.2012 C(2012) 1959 final COMMISSION DECISION of 28.3.2012 addressed to: DSV Air & Sea SAS, Agility Logistics Limited, Agility Logistics Limited (Hong Kong), Beijing Kintetsu World Express Co., Ltd., CEVA Freight (UK) Limited, CEVA Freight Shanghai Limited, EGL, Inc., DHL Global Forwarding (UK) Limited, DHL Management (Schweiz) AG, DHL Global Forwarding (China) Co., Ltd., DHL Global Forwarding (Hong Kong) Limited, Deutsche Post AG, Exel Freight Management (UK) Limited, Exel Group Holdings (Nederland) B.V., DHL Logistics (China) Co., Ltd., DHL Supply Chain (Hong Kong) Limited, Exel Limited, Expeditors Hong Kong Ltd., Expeditors International of Washington, Inc., Hellmann Worldwide Logistics Ltd. Hong Kong, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics GmbH & Co. KG, Kuehne + Nagel Ltd. (UK), Kuehne + Nagel Management AG, Kuehne + Nagel Ltd. (Shanghai), Kuehne + Nagel Ltd. (Hong Kong), Kuehne + Nagel International AG, Nippon Express (China) Co., Ltd., Panalpina Management AG, Panalpina China Ltd, Panalpina World Transport (Holding) Ltd, Schenker Limited, Schenker AG, Schenker China Ltd., Schenker International (H.K.) Ltd., Deutsche Bahn AG, Toll Global Forwarding (Hong Kong) Limited, Toll Global Forwarding Limited, UPS Supply Chain Solutions, Inc., UPS SCS (China) Ltd., United Parcel Service, Inc., UTi Worldwide (UK) Ltd, UTi Nederland B.V., UTi Worldwide, Inc., Yusen Shenda Air & Sea Service (Shanghai) Ltd. relating to a proceeding under Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement Case COMP/39462 - Freight Forwarding (Only the English and German texts are authentic) EN EN TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction......................................................................................................... 9 2. The industry subject to the proceedings ........................................................... 10 2.1. The freight forwarding services ........................................................................ 10 2.2. Undertakings subject to the present proceedings.............................................. 11 2.2.1. CEVA/EGL....................................................................................................... 11 2.2.2. Deutsche Bahn (including Schenker and BAX) ............................................... 12 2.2.3. Deutsche Post (including Danzas, DHL and Exel) ........................................... 12 2.2.4. Expeditors ......................................................................................................... 13 2.2.5. Hellmann........................................................................................................... 14 2.2.6. Kintetsu ............................................................................................................. 14 2.2.7. Kuehne + Nagel ................................................................................................ 15 2.2.8. Nippon Express ................................................................................................. 15 2.2.9. Panalpina........................................................................................................... 16 2.2.10. Agility/Geologistics .......................................................................................... 16 2.2.11. DSV/ABX ......................................................................................................... 17 2.2.12. Toll/BALtrans ................................................................................................... 17 2.2.13. UPS (including Emery/Menlo) ......................................................................... 18 2.2.14. UTi .................................................................................................................... 19 2.2.15. Yusen Shenda ................................................................................................... 19 2.3. Description of the sector ................................................................................... 20 2.3.1. The supply ........................................................................................................ 20 2.3.2. The demand ...................................................................................................... 21 2.4. Inter-state trade ................................................................................................. 21 3. Procedure .......................................................................................................... 21 3.1. Immunity application ........................................................................................ 21 3.2. Inspections ........................................................................................................ 22 3.3. Leniency applications ....................................................................................... 22 4. Description of the events .................................................................................. 25 4.1. New Export System (NES) ............................................................................... 28 EN 3 EN 4.1.1. General remarks ................................................................................................ 28 4.1.2. Nature of the illicit contacts between competitors concerning the NES .......... 29 4.1.3. Description of the events .................................................................................. 29 4.1.4. Assessment of the parties' arguments ............................................................... 34 4.1.5. Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 37 4.2. Advanced Manifest System (AMS) .................................................................. 38 4.2.1. General remarks ................................................................................................ 39 4.2.2. Nature of the illicit contacts between competitors concerning the AMS ......... 39 4.2.3. Description of the events .................................................................................. 41 4.2.4. Assessment of the parties' arguments ............................................................... 47 4.2.5. Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 55 4.3. Currency Adjustment Factor (CAF) ................................................................. 56 4.3.1. General remarks ................................................................................................ 57 4.3.2. Nature of the illicit contacts between competitors concerning the CAF .......... 57 4.3.3. Description of the events .................................................................................. 59 4.3.3.1. Preliminary contacts ......................................................................................... 59 4.3.3.2. First meeting: 27 July 2005 .............................................................................. 59 4.3.3.3. Second meeting: 12 August 2005 ..................................................................... 64 4.3.3.4. Third meeting: 15 September 2005 .................................................................. 66 4.3.3.5. Fourth meeting: 18 November 2005 ................................................................. 67 4.3.3.6. Fifth meeting: 13 March 2006 .......................................................................... 68 4.3.4. Assessment of the parties' arguments ............................................................... 69 4.3.5. Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 75 4.4. Peak Season Surcharge (PSS) ........................................................................... 76 4.4.1. General remarks ................................................................................................ 77 4.4.2. Nature of the illicit contacts between competitors concerning the PSS ........... 78 4.4.3. Description of the events .................................................................................. 79 4.4.3.1. 2005 Breakfast Meetings .................................................................................. 79 4.4.3.2. 2006 Breakfast Meetings .................................................................................. 82 4.4.3.3. 2007 Breakfast Meetings .................................................................................. 86 4.4.4. Assessment of the parties' arguments ............................................................... 87 EN 4 EN 4.4.5. Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 95 5. Application of Article 101 of the Treaty And Article 53 of the EEA Agreement .........................................................................................................................