France launches investigation of express companies

French anti-trust regulator goes after package delivery companies. DHL, FedEx, TNT, and the UK’s Royal Mail are among delivery firms targeted in by the Autorité de la Concurrence in an ongoing anti-trust investigation of their French divisions.

According to a report in Bloomberg, FedEx, Royal Mail, and TNT have indicated that the process could result in “material” fines or losses. DHL, while saying that it is under investigation, has not mentioned the possibility of fines. The report goes on to indicate that FedEx said the alleged anticompetitive behavior at its French unit, which was known as Tatex when the FedEx acquired it in 2012, occurred primarily at trade-association meetings before it bought the company.