Forwarders Slapped In Price Probe

     The long arm of air cargo price fixing investigations continues, as six freight forwarders ready their guilty pleas and will be forced to pay fines totaling $50.27 million for their roles in several conspiracies to fix a variety of fees and charges, the U.S. Department of Justice said.
     These charges are the result of the department's antitrust investigation of the freight forwarding industry.
     U.S. DOJ filed the charges in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, naming six companies, including Houston based EGL Inc.; Switzerland’s Kühne + Nagel International AG (K+N); Bermuda’s Geologistics International Management; Switzerland’s Panalpina World Transport (Holding) Ltd.; Schenker AG, based in Essen, Germany; and BAX Global Inc., based in Toledo, Ohio.
     U.S. DOJ said that these companies “engaged in one or more separate conspiracies to impose certain charges or fees on customers purchasing international freight forwarding services for cargo freight destined for air shipment to the United States during various periods between 2002 and 2007.”
     Under the plea agreements, which are subject to court approval, the six companies have agreed to pay the following criminal fines: EGL, $4,486,120; K+N, $9,865,044; Geologistics, $687,960; Panalpina, $11,947,845; Schenker, $3,535,514; and BAX Global, $19,745,927.
     The companies have also agreed to cooperate with the department's ongoing antitrust investigation, which would seem to indicate that these investigations are far from over.
     "The department's investigation uncovered six different conspiracies harming businesses and consumers in the United States and across the globe," said Christine Varney, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division.
     "Our investigation continues in this important industry."
Geoffrey/Flossie

Gotta Hand It To You

     Although he probably could have bought most of this stuff from a corner grocery store in Santiago, His Excellency Sebastian Piñera, President of the Republic of Chile, played along with the gag after being presented a symbolic basket of imported Chilean produce by Joseph A. Czyzyk, Chairman & CEO of Mercury Air Group, who serves as member of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce.
     The produce, imported by Mercury’s perishable freight forwarding subsidiary, Apollo Freight, symbolizes the growing trade relationship between Chile & California.
     Mr. Czyzyk (prounounced Sizik) said that Mercury had recently opened an office in Santiago, telling a gathering of more than 300 in Los Angeles recently:
     “After meeting President Sebastian Piñera, I am glad our company is doing business in Chile.”

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