The Minister for Trade and Industry has extended the Competition (Block Exemption for Liner Shipping Agreements) Order 2006 (BEO) which exempts liner shipping agreements (‘LSAs’) from section 34 of the Competition Act (Cap. 50B) ('the Act') for another five years (until 31 December 2015). The BEO exempts LSAs in relation to the provision of liner shipping services, provided certain conditions and obligations are fulfilled. These include non-mandatory adherence to tariffs, and allowing member liner operators to enter into individual confidential contracts and offer their own service arrangements. (More details on the BEO and liner shipping agreements and services are in the Annex attached.

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