Maritime freight interestingly has a 'maximum price' level set by the world maritime organization. Nobody ever goes below...
But according to the eggheads that is not price fixing because you are allowed to go below, which again, nobody ever does.
In Air Cargo the situation is much more delicate. First, the 'price fixing' was found to be happening in one price component - the fuel surcharge. The result now is that before carriers agreed on how the surcharge was to be calculated. This is apparently price fixing. The rest of other surcharges and the actual rate (which form the end price) are obviously neglected. In the end the result is that before you had transparency on the surcharges and the rest, now you have only an end price for which you have no idea of how it is composed.
Funny enough the ones who complain most about the situation are shippers, the ones who forced the industry to adopt the surcharges in the first place.
Oh, should any egghead read here, just one important piece of information. If you as a carrier want to know what is paid in the market you will within five minuted. The forwarders will put the rate sheets of all your competitor under your nose without you even asking.
So in essence you have some highly paid lawyers and legal institutes of the state showing their power on a purely theoretical exercise with no practical result. Non e of these guys got rich, the industry is not making a plot of money anyway and some people even have to go and spend some time in prison for some tax fed lawyers trying to show-off.
Whow!!!