The ACCC has this morning issued it’s Annual Stevedore Monitoring Report for the 2024/2025 year, which now becomes the 10th year that the ACCC has developed and issued these reports.

Through a direction from the Federal Treasurer, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (under Part VIIA of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010) monitors the prices, costs and profits of container terminal operator companies at the ports of Adelaide, Brisbane, Burnie, Fremantle, Melbourne and Sydney.

IFCBAA advised they will assess the report and revert back to us about tthe findings. They do insist we check the below news article that has been published:

Courtesy of The Sydney Morning Herald

Households are being stung by higher costs as port fees soar: ACCC

Sustained price hikes charged by companies controlling Australia’s largest ports inflate everyday costs for consumers and business, the competition watchdog says, as it recommends government intervention to address “apparent market failures” in the sector.

In a searing assessment of stevedoring companies, who are contracted by container ports to operate their terminals where they load cargo on and off ships, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has blasted the companies for putting up costs they charge their freight transporter clients despite having “significant spare capacity” while their operating costs remained stable.

Almost all consumer goods, including electronics, cars, furniture, clothing and medicines, as well as many raw materials used for construction imported to Australia are loaded into standardised containers and onto cargo ships to make their way to ports around the nation.

Read more here:

https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/households-are-being-stung-by-higher-costs-as-port-fees-soar-accc-20251211-p5nmyx.html

The report is to follow and will be published at a later date

The DDWL Team

Story courtesy of IFCBAA, The ACCC & The Sydney Morning Herald