The US Maritime Administration (MARAD) and it Chinese counterpart have confirmed there are no current plans in either country to follow the the EU example of scrapping anti-cartel immunity for shipping companies. Chinese also used a meeting in Shanghai last week to complain about the US visa system which was "inconvenient" for Chinese seafarers on ships entering US ports.
According to agreed minutes: "Both sides exchanged views on competition policy for ocean carriers. Both sides emphasised the importance of consistency in international competition policy in order to avoid any negative effects on the shipping industry due to conflicts of law. Both sides noted that at present there are no plans to change the competition laws in either country which grant ant-trust immunity for ocean carriers."
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