Canada cargo cartel settles

CANADA is the latest settlement ground for cargo price-fixing allegations, following hearings in Australia, Europe, Japan, New Zealand and the US.
Proceedings involve claims against Cargolux, Qantas Airways, Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS), Singapore Airlines and its cargo subsidiary.
Charges apply to companies which purchased airfreight shipping services from any air cargo carrier, including services through freight forwarders, for shipments within, to or from Canada — except for shipments to or from the US — between 1 January 2000 and 11 September 2006, and have not already excluded themselves from the class actions, law firm Siskinds said.
Each arrangement requires court approval of the terms of the settlement, including orders certifying the actions as class actions against each of the settling defendants.
SAS has agreed to pay CA$300,000 (US$305,000); Qantas CA$237,000 ($241,000) and Cargolux CA$1.8 million ($1.83 million).
Motions to certify the actions as class actions against the settling defendants and to approve the settlements will be heard in courts in the provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec in October.
Japan Airlines International, Lufthansa and its cargo subsidiary, and Swiss International Air Lines have already settled.