香港竞争法在航运行业的实施:突破和启示

Enforcement of Hong Kong’s Competition Ordinance in the Shipping Industry:Breakthrough and Enlightenment

2016年9月,香港竞争事务委员会针对定期班轮协议发布部分豁免的初步决定。该项初步决定是香港《竞争条例》全面生效以来最为重要的执法之一。在考察香港航运产业面临的竞争格局,以及深入分析初步决定的法律解读和分析框架后,本文指出竞争事务委员会的初步决定标志着香港成为新一个在航运领域采取有限反垄断豁免模式的法域。该决定将部分限制香港航运业普遍存在的联合运营模式,有利于香港港口行业降低成本,并提升香港航运业的长远竞争力。另外,香港竞争事务委员会审慎、透明、严格区分竞争政策和产业政策的执法态度也值得内地执法部门借鉴。

In September 2016, the Hong Kong Competition Commission announced a preliminary decision on partial exemption for regular liner shipping agreements. The decision was one of the most important enforcement actions since the implementation of the Hong Kong Competition Ordinance. Examining the competition landscape of the shipping industry in Hong Kong, and based on an in-depth analysis of the legal interpretation and analysis framework of the preliminary decision, this paper points out that the preliminary decision marks Hong Kong as a new jurisdiction applying the limited anti-monopoly exemption model in the shipping sector. The joint operation which is common in Hong Kong shipping industry, is partly confined by the decision. All these are contribute to reduce the cost of Hong Kong ports, and enhance the long-term competitiveness of local shipping industry. In addition, the prudent, transparent and strict distinction between competition policy and industrial policy enforcement of Hong Kong Competition Commission has set a good example for the Mainland law enforcement agencies.