Merchant Shipping (Liner Conferences) Act 1982

CHAPTER V OTHER MATTERS

Article 18 FIGHTING SHIPS

Members of a conference shall not use fighting ships in the conference trade for the purpose of excluding, preventing or reducing competition by driving a shipping line not a member of the conference out of the said trade.

Article 19 ADEQUACY OF SERVICE

1. Conferences should take necessary and appropriate measures to ensure that their member lines provide regular, adequate and efficient service of the required frequency on the routes they serve and shall arrange such services so as to avoid as far as possible bunching and gapping of sailings. Conferences should also take into consideration any special measures necessary in arranging services to handle seasonal variations in cargo volumes.

2. Conferences and other parties prescribed in this Code as entitled to participate in consultations, including appropriate authorities if they so desire, should keep under review, and should maintain close co-operation regarding the demand for shipping space, the adequacy and suitability of service, and in particular the possibilities for rationalization and for increasing the efficiency of services. Benefits identified as accruing from rationalization of services shall be fairly reffected in the level of freight rates.

3. In respect of any port for which conference services are supplied only subject to the availability of a specified minimum of cargo, that minimum shall be specified in the tariff. Shippers should give adequate notice of the availability of such cargo.

Article 20 HEAD OFFICE OF A CONFERENCE

A conference shall as a rule establish its head office in a country whose trade is served by that conference, unless agreed otherwise by the shipping lines members of that conference.

Article 21 REPRESENTATION

Conferences shall establish local representation in all countries served, except that where there are practical reasons to the contrary the representation may be on a regional basis. The names and addresses of representatives shall be readily available, and these representatives shall ensure that the views of shippers and conferences are made rapidly known to each other with a view to expediting prompt decisions. When a conference considers it suitable, it shall provide for adequate delegation of powers of decision to its representatives.

Article 22 CONTENTS OF CONFERENCE AGREEMENTS, TRADE PARTICIPATION AGREEMENTS AND LOYALTY ARRANGEMENTS

Conference agreements, trade participation agreements and loyalty arrangements shall conform to the applicable requirements of this Code and may include such other provisions as may be agreed which are not inconsistent with this Code.