Competition and Consumer Act 2010

The principal objects of this Part are:

to ensure that Australian exporters have continued access to outwards liner cargo shipping services of adequate frequency and reliability at freight rates that are internationally competitive; and

to promote conditions in the international liner cargo shipping industry that encourage stable access to export markets for exporters in all States and Territories; and

to ensure that efficient Australian flag shipping is not unreasonably hindered from normal commercial participation in any outwards liner cargo shipping trade; and

as far as practicable, to extend to Australian importers in each State and Territory the protection given by this Part to Australian exporters.

It is the intention of the Parliament that the principal objects of this Part should be achieved:

by permitting continued conference operations while enhancing the competitive environment for international liner cargo shipping services through the provision of adequate and appropriate safeguards against abuse of conference power, particularly by:

enacting additional restrictive trade practice provisions applying to ocean carriers;

requiring conference agreements to meet certain minimum standards;

making conference agreements generally publicly available;

permitting only partial and conditional exemption from restrictive trade practice prohibitions; and

requiring conferences to take part in negotiations with representative shipper bodies;

through increased reliance on private commercial and legal processes and a reduced level of government regulation of routine commercial matters; and

by the exercise of jurisdiction, consistent with international law:

over ocean carriers who have a substantial connection with Australia because they provide international liner cargo shipping services; and

to enable remedies for contravention of the provisions of this Part to be enforced within Australia.