Jan.8--GERMANY's DHL, the world's biggest forwarder, has agreed to pay US$53 million to settle price-fixing class action suit in the US, reports New York legal news site Law360.
Eleven shippers have accused DHL and other forwarders of an historical conspiracy to fix international air freight prices and surcharges, said the report.
New York federal court documents reveal that the shippers appealed to US District Judge John Gleeson to approve the deal, saying the terms were fair and reasonable.
If approved, the settlement would allow DHL to end a suit first filed in 2008. The claimants, which include Mail Boxes Etc., Precision Associates, and JCK Industries, allege that numerous freight forwarders were involved in conspiracies to fix prices in violation of the Sherman Act between 2001 and 2007.
Accused were: ABX Logistics Worldwide; EGL; Expeditors; Kuehne + Nagel; Schenker and affiliates such as Bax Global; Morrison Express Logistics; Nishi-Nippon; United Aircargo Consolidators; UTi Worldwide; Vantec; Toll Global Forwarding; Panalpina; Geodis; DSV; Jet-Speed Logistics; SDV; Agility; Dachser; and Hellmann Worldwide Logistics.
DHL and its parent, affiliate, and subsidiary companies (Deutsche Post AG; Danzas Corporation [doing business as DHL Global Forwarding]; DHL Express [USA] Inc; DHL Global Forwarding Japan KK; DHL Japan Inc.; Exel Global Logistics, Inc; and Air Express International USA, Inc had previously settled claims in Japan, but until now had not settled in the US.
In a first round of settlements in 2013, ABX, EGL, Expeditors, Kuehne + Nagel, Morrison, Nishi-Nippon, Schenker, UAC, UTi and Vantec, settled with the claimant shippers, London's Loadstar reports.
Another settlements involved the accused SDV, Panalpina, Geodis, DSV, Jet Speed, Toll Group, Agility, UPS, Dachser and a large group of so-called 'Japanese Defendants? including DHL’s Japanese operations ?was approved in a New York court in November, agreeing to pay a total of $197.6 million in 11 separate settlements, said Law360.
(Source:shippingazette)