On 2 December 2025, the Competition Commission announced that it has referred a complaint against eight major cargo shipping companies to the Competition Tribunal for prosecution. The referral concerns allegations of long-running price-fixing involving General Rate Increases (GRIs) charged on key international shipping routes.
The companies named in the complaint are Maersk South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Mediterranean Shipping Company (Pty) Ltd (MSC), CMA CGM Shipping Agencies South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Pacific International Lines South Africa (Pty) Ltd (PIL), Mitsui O.S.K Lines South Africa (Pty) Ltd (MOL), Evergreen Agency South Africa (Pty) Ltd, COSCO Shipping Lines South Africa (Pty) Ltd, and K Line Shipping South Africa. Collectively, these firms are global container shipping liners responsible for transporting import and export cargo to and from South Africa.
According to the Commission, the Respondents coordinated and fixed GRIs on routes between South Africa and Asia, as well as between South Africa and West Africa. The alleged conduct, which falls under the prohibition of price fixing in section 4(1)(b)(i) of the Competition Act, is said to have persisted for a decade—from 2008 to 2018.
The Commission’s investigation found that identical GRIs were charged on several major routes, including Shanghai, Ningbo and Shekou to Durban; Durban to Hong Kong; and Qingdao to Durban. Such coordinated pricing, the Commission asserts, harmed both importers and exporters by inflating shipping costs across multiple trade corridors.
Commissioner Doris Tshepe emphasized the broader economic significance of dismantling the alleged cartel. “The dismantling of the cartel will reduce the price of goods imported to South Africa for the benefit of consumers and will also reduce the costs of exports out of South Africa, which will, in turn, render South African exports competitive in world markets,” she stated.
The matter now proceeds to the Competition Tribunal, which will adjudicate the allegations and determine whether the Respondents violated South Africa’s competition laws.