Shipping Conferences

Shipping Conferences in Maritime Law

Note: There is more information on maritime/admiralty law here.

The following is a definition of Shipping Conferences, produced by Tetley, in the context of admiralty law: Various shipowners who operate liner, rather than tramp, services have formed associations in various trades, and various areas of the world. These associations, or conferences, fix freight (see this maritime law term in this legal dictionary) rates to prevent unfair price cutting and to ensure reasonable profits. Some nations consider such conferences and their price fixing to be monopolistic and unfair as well as being oppressive, because the conference presumably restricts the development of fleets of emerging nations. For this reason, the Convention on a Code of Conduct for Liner Conferences was adopted by UNCTAD in 1974. Other nations feel that ocean carriage is already so competitive and risky that some international rules and rate fixing is needed to prevent unfair undercutting and other improper practices.