In a formal submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA) identified three key areas of concern:

the participation of Maersk and Hamburg Sud in separate Vessel Sharing Agreements, Discussion Agreements and other agreements that have been registered under Pary X of the Competition and Consumer Act;
the predominance of both Maersk and Hamburg Sud in the Australian reefer trade;
other services when an acquisition constitute a significant lessening of competition.

APSA recommended:

the ACCC conduct further research on the impact on existing Conferences/Discussion Agreements before the acquisition is allowed to take place; and
should the acquisition be accepted, that the ACCC support negotiations of basic guarantees for Australian exporters, in respect to the retention of services and service levels.