Japanese shipping companies Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) have taken a further step towards settling a long-running UK collective action linked to the maritime car carrier cartel, according to documents published by the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT).
The case forms part of the “Car Delivery Charges” collective proceedings, brought by Mark McLaren Class Representative Limited, which seek damages for alleged overcharging resulting from illegal coordination between major deep-sea car carrier operators.
Follow-on case from EU cartel decision
The UK action is a follow-on damages claim based on the European Commission’s 2018 decision that found several shipping lines guilty of participating in a cartel in the market for deep-sea roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vehicle transport, according to the Commission’s findings.
According to the Commission, the companies involved coordinated prices, allocated customers and routes, exchanged commercially sensitive information and agreed on capacity reductions in order to avoid price competition. The infringement was treated as a single and continuous cartel affecting vehicle shipments worldwide, including routes to Europe.
The Commission decision found that NYK participated in the cartel between October 2006 and September 2012, while MOL’s involvement covered the period from October 2006 to May 2012, according to the case file used in the UK proceedings.
UK proceedings and proposed settlement
According to the Competition Appeal Tribunal’s official case listing, the UK trial against the remaining defendants ran between 13 January and 13 March 2025, and judgment is currently reserved.
The CAT confirms that on 25 November 2025, the class representative and several defendants — including MOL and NYK entities named in the proceedings — filed a joint application for approval of a collective settlement.
A settlement approval hearing is scheduled for 15 January 2026, with a second day listed in reserve. Before that hearing, class members and third parties have deadlines in December 2025 to intervene or make representations, according to the Tribunal.
At this stage, the CAT has not published the financial terms of the proposed MOL and NYK settlement, and the agreement will only take effect if formally approved by the Tribunal.
Who may be entitled to compensation
The collective action covers UK-domiciled consumers and businesses that purchased or financed new cars, as well as new light and medium-weight commercial vehicles, during the cartel period, subject to exclusions listed in the case definition.
This means that business vehicle buyers and fleet operators could be among those entitled to compensation if the settlement is approved and claims are validated.
The MOL and NYK settlement application follows earlier CAT-approved settlements with other shipping lines involved in the cartel, including “K” Line, WWL/EUKOR and CSAV.
According to earlier Tribunal judgments, those agreements provided for tens of millions of pounds in combined damages and costs, establishing the framework under which remaining defendants are now seeking to resolve the case.
What happens next
If approved, the MOL and NYK settlement would mark another major step towards closing one of the largest competition damages cases linked to maritime transport in the UK.
However, until the CAT issues its decision, no compensation amounts or distribution details are confirmed, and the proceedings formally remain ongoing.
