South Africa’s Competition Commission has referred a complaint against eight major container shipping companies to the Competition Tribunal, alleging that the carriers coordinated General Rate Increases (GRIs) on key trade routes for ten years.
According to the regulator, the case has been brought against the South African entities of Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, Pacific International Lines (PIL), Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), Evergreen, COSCO Shipping Lines, and K Line. The Commission said the companies “fixed the rates called General Rate Increase (‘GRI’) charged to customers” on routes between South Africa and Asia as well as South Africa and West Africa.
The Commission alleges that the conduct began in 2008 and continued until 2018, in breach of section 4(1)(b)(i) of the Competition Act, which prohibits agreements between competitors that directly or indirectly fix prices.
In its statement, the regulator said its investigation found that all eight companies applied identical GRIs on specific lanes, including Shanghai, Ningbo and Shekou to Durban; Durban to Hong Kong; and Qingdao to Durban.
Commissioner Doris Tshepe said in the statement that dismantling the alleged cartel “will reduce the price of goods imported to South Africa” and lower export costs, making locally produced goods more competitive globally.
The case has now been referred to the Competition Tribunal, which will hear evidence and determine whether the companies contravened the Act.
Why Europe should pay attention to South Africa’s cartel charges
While the allegations relate specifically to South African trade corridors, the case is likely to attract attention from shippers and regulators in other regions. Container carriers’ GRI practices have been scrutinised before in the EU, US and Asia, where authorities have examined whether parallel GRI announcements may influence market pricing. These past inquiries are part of the public record, though none resulted in findings equivalent to the South African allegations.
GRIs are a longstanding industry mechanism: carriers publish surcharge increases to adjust freight rates, particularly on long-haul east–west trades. When several carriers apply similar increases at the same time, shippers often question whether the changes reflect market dynamics or coordinated behaviour. The Commission’s findings, that eight companies used identical GRI amounts on specific lanes, will therefore carry weight in the broader debate over liner pricing transparency.
The timing adds further relevance. The global container market continues to experience volatility, with rerouted sailings around southern Africa, fluctuating spot rates and ongoing alliance restructuring. Against that backdrop, allegations of coordinated rate-setting, even limited to a specific set of surcharges, may prompt renewed calls for oversight.
At this stage, no carrier has issued a public response, and the Commission’s statement does not include comments from the companies. The Tribunal proceedings will determine whether the evidence supports the price-fixing allegations and whether penalties should follow. Under South African law, fines for such infringements can reach up to 10% of a company’s annual turnover, a standard maximum set out in the Competition Act.
