COMPANIES WHICH paid for air cargo shipping services to or from the US and Canada between January 2000 and September 2006 may be entitled to a settlement as part of a legal action.
The plaintiff, Air Cargo Settlement, claims Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Lufthansa Cargo AG and Swiss International Air Lines Ltd, along with several other cargo carriers, conspired to fix air cargo shipping prices in violation of US antitrust laws and Canadian competition law between these dates.
An $85 million (€55 million) fund for US services and a further $5.3 million for Canadian services will be available under the settlements to pay valid claims. Final approval hearings on the settlements are to take place in the US in December and in Canada early next year.
John Whelan, of the Irish Exporters' Association, says for "big movers" the settlement fund might be worth pursuing and he will be making members aware of it. Further information about the legal action, along with claim forms and deadlines are available at www.aircargosettlement.com.
