DP World has pursued measures to block an anti-trust investigation by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), according to Reuters.
It was reported by Reuters, in November 2018, that Singapore-based terminal operator PSA International issued a complaint to the CCI, accusing DP World and Maersk of colluding on certain charges at the state-owned Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Mumbai.
Accusations were made that Maersk and DP World agreed to impose a higher fee on shipping companies for handling containers that arrived at the PSA terminal.
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Maersk, DP World and PSA operate four out of the JNPT’s five port terminals, with the fifth owned by the Indian government.
PSA alleged that Maersk and DP World’s collusion hindered the growth of its terminal which, having opened in February 2018, was expected to nearly double the JNPT’s capacity.
DP World’s Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal, at the High Court in Mumbai, described the CCI’s decision to order an investigation as “arbitrary” and “capricious”.
DP World Reveals Container Storage Solution #PTIDaily SEE MORE: https://t.co/4Cz15rheCn@DP_World #container #storage #ports pic.twitter.com/ZlxEGIxoI4
— Port Technology (PTI) (@PortTechnology) December 17, 2018
As part of a petition, urging the High Court to reject or delay the CCI’s order, the DP World unit stated that allowing an investigation to stand “would lead to gross discrimination and grave economic harm” on its business.
DP World also said the matter was an issue of “business”, requiring the attention of India’s Tariff Authority for Major Ports as opposed to the CCI.
According to Reuters, it is possible that the dispute could be investigated by both parties, with the CCI watchdog set to defend its decision in court.
Read the original article from Reuters