Antitrust Commissioner exempted ports from antitrust filing

Antitrust Commissioner Mr.Dror Strum decided last week to exempt each of the country's three ports (Haifa, Ashdod and Eilat) and the port assets company, from applying for antitrust approval of agreements between them.
 
Following this year's passing of the new Ports Law, the Ports Authority was split into three individual port companies and a property development port company - Israel Ports Assets and Development Company Ltd. The Israel Ports Company is responsible for the development of Israel's ports and managing and maintaining the state's assets in the ports.
 
In a press release Strum said that he had been concerned that agreements among the three ports and the assests company could have a negative effect and harm competition.
 
He demanded, therefore, that all contracts between one of the ports and the assets company be separate, independent and confidential.
 
Strum insisted that the assets company takes all necessary steps to ensure that no confidential material about one port be passed over to either of the other two.