US fines Kuehne + Nagel US$9.9 million for fixing surcharges with rivals

SWISS logistics giant Kuehne + Nagel, rated the world`s largest forwarder, has been fined US$9.9 million after a Washington District Court ruling for violating anti-trust law by fixing surcharges with other forwarders.

The company said the court approved plea bargain between Kuehne + Nagel International AG and the US Justice Department was made on September 30, 2010, concluding an investigation that started in 2007.


"In approving the plea agreement, the Department of Justice and the court recognised that Kuehne + Nagel provided substantial assistance through its early and extensive cooperation with the investigation," said a Kuehne + Nagel statement announcing the conviction.


"Kuehne + Nagel has agreed to pay a fine of US$9.9 million under the plea agreement to resolve allegations that international freight forwarders coordinated their activities with respect to establishing certain surcharges," said the statement.


Company chairman Karl Gernandt said he "is committed to abiding by all anti-trust laws and regulations. I reconfirm that we continuously develop and reinforce our compliance programme to always ensure compliance with the highest available standards".


Kuehne + Nagel, which employs some 61,500 people in more than 100 countries, said at the time that competition authorities in several countries were carrying out an investigation into the forwarding sector.