Wallenius Wilhelmsen to Pay USD 98.9 Mn for Price Fixing

Norwegian company Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics AS (WWL) has agreed to plead guilty and pay a USD 98.9 million criminal fine for fixing prices of international ocean shipments of roll-on, roll-off cargo to and from the Port of Baltimore and other locations in the United States, the Department of Justice said.

According to the one-count felony charge filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, WWL conspired with other roll-on, roll-off ocean shipping lines from at least February 2000 until at least September 2012 to fix prices, rig bids, and allocate customers.

“WWL and its co-conspirators cheated their customers for years by fixing the prices of ocean shipping services for cars, trucks, and other cargo,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Renata B. Hesse, head of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.

WWL is the fourth company to agree to plead guilty in the investigation, which has resulted in over USD 230 million in agreed-upon fines.

In addition, eight executives have been charged for their participation in the conspiracy. Four have already pleaded guilty and been sentenced to prison terms, while the remaining four executives have been indicted, but remain fugitives from justice.

In addition to paying its fine, WWL has agreed to cooperate with the department’s ongoing antitrust investigation. The plea agreement is subject to court approval.