GERMANY – DHL Global Forwarding, the freight forwarding division of Deutsche Post, has confirmed that have also received a Statement of Objections from the EU Commission’s investigation into antitrust allegations involving surcharges used in freight transactions.
Speaking to the Handy Shipping Guide a company spokesman said that DHL had been cooperating with the Commission for some time after concerns had been raised by an internal review of practices that the company might have been in violation of European anti competition legislation.
Due to this cooperation DHL has apparently been granted immunity from prosecution and penalties.
He also stated that the investigation only extended to DHL Global Forwarding and none of the groups other divisions and emphasised that the surcharge issue was concerned with subjects such as peak season charges and not related to a separate investigation into fuel surcharges.
In a statement DHL said that: “DHL Global Forwarding believes that the economic effects of the reported activities were minimal. Deutsche Post DHL's Mail, Express and Supply Chain divisions are not subjects of the investigation. Nevertheless, in addition to its continued cooperation and compliance with the amnesty programme, Deutsche Post DHL has, and will continue, to strengthen its antitrust training and internal compliance procedures across all Business Units.”
DHL is the latest major logistics to fall foul of the EU’s anti competition laws with Panalpina and Kuehne + Nagel confirming this morning that they were in receipt of Statement of Objections from the European Commission.
