FIATA, in French “Fédération Internationale des Associations de Transitaires et Assimilés”, in English “International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations”, in German “Internationale Föderation der Spediteurorganisationen”, was founded in Vienna/Austria on May 31, 1926.
FIATA, a non-governmental organisation, represents today an industry covering approximately 40,000 forwarding and logistics firms, also known as the “Architects of Transport”, employing around 8 – 10 million people in 150 countries.
FIATA has consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations (inter alia ECE, ESCAP, ESCWA), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).
It is recognised as representing the freight forwarding industry by many other governmental organisations, governmental authorities, private international organisations in the field of transport such as the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Union of Railways (UIC), the International Road Transport Union (IRU), the World Customs Organization (WCO), the World Trade Organization (WTO), etc.
Antitrust Guidelines
Certain kinds of joint conduct are presumed to be unreasonable and, therefore, unlawful. These so-called per se unlawful practices are joint activities that the courts in many countries have long found clearly restrain competition and lack redeeming pro-competitive benefits. There are severe penalties for violation of these laws.
Examples of prohibited conduct include:
- Setting Prices:
Agreements or communications with the object (purpose) or effect of setting or maintaining either prices or factors relating to prices, such as credit, discounts, profit levels, rates surcharges, commissions and fees. - Allocating Markets or Customers:
Agreements or communications with the purpose or effect of allocating markets, such as an agreement not to provide service to a particular geographic area, industry, customer or group of customers in return for a reciprocal pledge from a competitor. These types of agreements among competitors are never lawful, regardless of the context of the agreement. - Tying:
Agreements or communications with the purposes or effect of requiring a customer to buy an unwanted product or service in order to obtain the product or service desired. In addition, agreements with the purpose or effect of refusing to deal with competitors, customers, suppliers, or other third parties (often called “group boycotts”) have often been declared unlawful, and should be avoided.