Liner conference

A liner conference is a group of liner carriers on a trade route that agree common tariffs and may regulate sailings and capacity, a cartel arrangement that historically held antitrust immunity. The EU withdrew its block exemption in 2008 under Regulation 1419/2006, ending price-fixing conferences in EU trades, and the US Shipping Act regime weakened them through service contracts. Conferences have largely been replaced by consortia and vessel-sharing agreements, which share ships and slots but set prices independently. The narrower consortia exemption in the EU then expired on 25 April 2024.