E: D ? I N D U ST RY NEW S Regulators collaborate on suspected shipping cartel activity GOSSELIN GROUP ACQUIRES UNIMOVE ROTTERDAM Gosselin has announced that it has acquired UniMove, a Rotterdam-based international moving and storage business founded in 2007. Gosselin took on 100 per cent of UniMoves share capital as part of agreement signed at the end of 2021 by Gosselin Group CEO Marc Smet and UniMoves founding co-owners by Michel Paijens and Raymond van Dijk. The business will continue to operate from its existing Rotterdam premises and trade alongside Gosselins existing Dutch moving branch. According to a Gosselin statement, its business will be complemented with the addition of UniMoves mainly international moving and storage activity and its domestic moving brand in Jac den Hollander, which it acquired in 2008. The existing and highly experienced UniMove team and management, headed up by Michel Paijens and Raymond van Dijk, will run the business, now with access to Gosselins pan-European resources from which it can strengthen and capitalise on growing business in the Netherlands and across Europe, said the statement. UniMove is a member of IAM, PAIMA and Erkende Verhuizers, the trade association for the Dutch moving industry. CEO of Gosselin Moving Marcel Jrg said: We have been actively looking to strengthen our market position in the Netherlands and are pleased to have found an ideal solution. Our existing FIDI operation is primarily focusing on corporate international business. Like in other strong markets, we run our own operations allowing us to be more independent from our supplying partners. Besides adding operational capacities, we are also strengthening our market share in both the local and international business. In addition, Unimove is a strong player in the international retail customer segment. Van Dijk added: We believe this is the best way forward for UniMove to strengthen our market share in the Netherlands and are excited to join the Gosselin family. 14 FF305 Mar_May 22 pp10-16 News.indd 14 Competition regulators from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the US have joined forces to investigate potential cartel activity in supply chains around the world. The group includes the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Canadian Competition Bureau, New Zealands Commerce Commission, the UKs Competition and Markets Authority and the US Department of Justice Antitrust Division. New Zealands Commerce Commission Chair Anna Rawlings said in spite of the significant challenges for economies worldwide, as a result of the pandemic, there would be a zero-tolerance approach for unscrupulous businesses using COVID as an opportunity for cartel conduct, such as non-essential collusion between competitors or anti-competitive behaviour. The international working group will strengthen our continued efforts to deter and penalise cartel conduct. Olaf Merk, Project Manager for ports and shipping at the International Transport Forum (ITF) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), told maritime news website Splash: Coordination in monitoring and regulation of liner shipping is long overdue. It is a global industry, but there is no global regulatory approach on competition in liner shipping. Initiatives like these can help to address that governance gap. Previous investigations into anti-competitive activity in the container shipping industry have not found evidence of collusion. However, as prices have soared during the pandemic, so too have accusations of profiteering. Meanwhile, the European Association for Forwarding, Transport, Logistics and Customs Services (CLECAT) has written to the EUs Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager, pushing for an inquiry into the container shipping sector, alleging unfair practices. The organisation said: The profiteering of ocean shipping carriers resulting from their capacity management strategy allowed them to acquire the market power and financial war chest that they are now using to vertically integrate, increase rates and drive out independent freight forwarders in the downstream market. New report shows US industry jobs impact The moving and storage industry supports more than 186,000 jobs in the US and contributes US$32.2 billion directly to the economy, according to a report by the American Trucking Associations Moving and Storage Conference. The Economic Impact Study breaks down the economic impact of the moving industry across the country and in specific states. Its findings include that, in addition to 186,382 jobs, the industry indirectly supports a further 121,968 jobs and induces 173,420 jobs (largely those within the supply chain) - a total impact of 481,770 jobs. Total direct and indirect economic activity including indirect and induced economic activity was $92.2 billion. Last year, the moving and storage businesses paid $12.8 billion in wages and $10.6 billion in state and federal business taxes in 2021. We have known for some time how important this industry is to the country, but this report shows how much we contribute not just to individual families, service members, and companies who rely on our services but to our communities and to the economy as a whole, said Moving & Storage Institute Chairman Jack Griffin, chairman and CEO of Atlas World Group Inc. The report methodology is available online at https://moving. guerrillaeconomics.net/res/ methodology.pdf WWW. F I D I FOC U S . OR G 11/03/2022 16:35