AFR - Patrick rejects ‘price gouging’ allegations

The Freight and Trade Alliance, which represents importers and exporters, has asked the National Transport Commission to consider regulation to force stevedores to recover infrastructure costs from shipping lines, rather than from transport operators.

"It is an abuse of market power and unreasonable to impose a charge on a party that has no say; cannot negotiate the charge and cannot go elsewhere to receive and deliver containers," the FTA said in its submission to the commission, which is developing national guidelines on charges.