The latest Australian Competition and Consumer Commission container stevedoring monitoring report shows that average prices for container movements* across wharves by stevedoring services have stabilised over the 2000-2001 financial year and are now at their lowest level since monitoring data has been available**, ACCC Chairman, Professor Allan Fels, said today.
"This is good news for Australian businesses involved in exporting and importing.
"The ACCC's report shows that since this round of monitoring began both average costs and average revenues have fallen. Productivity as measured by container movements has increased significantly. These productivity improvements could be expected to provide further benefits in terms of service quality to shippers".
After the second full year of monitoring the stevedoring levy, it appears on evidence available to the ACCC that neither stevedoring company, P&O Ports nor Patrick, has passed on the government-imposed levy to customers in 2000-2001.
"The cost of the stevedoring levy seems to have been offset against other cost savings achieved by P&O Ports and Patrick", Professor Fels said.
The ACCC monitors stevedoring prices, costs and profits to provide the government and the community with information on the progress of waterfront reforms at Australia's major container terminals. In particular, the ACCC was directed to monitor a levy on stevedores that funded redundancy payments.
The Container Stevedoring Monitoring Report No. 3 can be obtained from the ACCC's Melbourne or Canberra offices.
* per twenty foot equivalent unit (TEU).
** 1985.