The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) has urged the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to step in and block the proposed P3 Network calling the agreement a clear attempt by the three carriers involved to “dictate the marketplace.”

In a letter sent to the Commission this week, ILA president Harold Daggett said that if the new alliance is approved then it “would present an unprecedented risk of anti-competitive practices”.

“Unlike vessel-sharing agreements between smaller carriers that are designed to enable those carriers to compete in the marketplace, the P3 agreement represents an attempt by three of the largest carriers in the industry to dictate the marketplace,” declared Daggett.

Concerns voiced by the ILA have been echoed by regulators in both the European Union and in China. However, the FMC, who will accept comments on the P3 Network up until Friday, is keeping an “open mind” on the agreement, according to the JOC.

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