Though not surprising, it remains stunning in its audacity: Matson, one of the two shippers to and from Guam, will be raising its rates twice in the next two months. The parent company of its competitor, APL Guam, by contrast had suspended all spot rate increases globally from September 2021 through February 1 next year.
Matson has remained influential in Guam’s corporate and political communities, staving off criticism of its pocket-busting rate increases and movements toward monopoly from most elected officials and even the Guam Chamber of Commerce. The company is a defendant in a civil suit brought by APL alleging it has violated the Sherman Anti-Trust Act by engaging in illegal anti-competitive practices on island.
Attorney General Leevin Camacho’s office has said prosecutors are watching the case, which is unfolding in the U.S. District Court of Washington, D.C. to see whether local action will be taken. Guam has its own antitrust statute that largely mirrors federal law.
The new rates, announced by Matson in a notice to customers today, are below:
