Conferences (Liner)

A liner conference is an agreement among shipping lines on a trade route to fix freight rates, regulate capacity, and pool revenue or cargo. The UN Liner Code Convention 1974 set the 40:40:20 cargo-sharing formula between national lines of the trading partners and cross-traders. The European Union withdrew the antitrust block exemption for conferences serving EU trades on 18 October 2008 under Regulation (EC) No 1419/2006, ending price-fixing immunity. The US retains limited antitrust immunity for filed conference and discussion agreements under the Shipping Act of 1984 as amended. Carriers now cooperate mainly through vessel-sharing and alliance agreements rather than rate conferences.