Shippers and port industries are urging the European Commission to repeal legislation that exempts liner shipping consortia from antitrust rules.

The Consortia Block Exemption Regulation (BER), which is up for review in April 2020, allows container lines with a combined market share of less than 30% to cooperate or provide joint services.

But 10 port and transport associations have put their names to a document arguing that the BER is “obsolete” and provides liner shipping with “a generous exemption from normal competition rules”.