Twilight for Carrier Cartels

When the House Transportation and and Infrastructure’s Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee met late last week, shippers were given a forum to fume about an archaic and exploitive price-fixing system that should be scrapped. Among those championing a Congressional review of the U.S. Shipping act were leaders from the National Industrial Transportation League, The Agriculture Transportaiton Coalition, and National Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Assocation of America. All expresed optimism that the sun may finally be setting on so-called ocean carrier "talking agreements" that are anti-competitive in the extreme. But now that law-makers are listening, will they act?