Asians 'concerned' over EU regulation. (European Union)

Shipowners say European Commission's antitrust enforcement conflicts with commercial realities.

Asian shipowners plan to tell the European Union's competition directorate they have "serious concern" over the EU's antitrust restrictions on liner shipping consortia.

The Asian Shipowners' Forum said the EU's draft rules on consortia are "unnecessarily restrictive" and "might conflict with the established commercial customs and practices" and harm liner shipping.

The forum, which met recently in Beijing, comprises shipowners from Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Seventy-one …