Did you purchase or lease a new vehicle in Canada that had been transported by vehicle carrier international shipping services, or did you purchase vehicle carrier international shipping services in Canada, between February 1, 1997 and December 31, 2012? If so, your legal rights could be affected.
Class Actions are underway across Canada which allege overcharges for Roll On/Roll Off ocean freight shipping of vehicles bought or leased during that time.
Class action lawsuits have been brought across Canada against various international Roll On/Roll Off shipping companies.
Those lawsuits allege that people and companies in Canada who paid for international Vehicle Carrier Services, including as part of the cost of the purchase or lease of a new vehicle, may have overpaid for the cost of those services between February 1, 1997 and December 1, 2012 (the “Class Period”).
“Vehicle Carrier Services” means paid international ocean shipping services via roll on/roll off vessels (“RoRo”) of cargo, such as new and used cars and trucks, as well as agricultural, construction and mining equipment (collectively “Vehicles”). A “RoRo” is a type of ocean vessel that allows wheeled Vehicles to be driven on and off the vessel and parked on its decks for ocean transport. It is alleged that among other things, customers were overcharged for Vehicle Carrier Services as the defendants participated in an unlawful conspiracy to fix, raise, maintain, increase, or control the price for Vehicle Carrier Services.
Höegh Settlement:
The most recent settlement reached was with Höegh Autoliners AS and Höegh Autoliners Inc. (collectively, "Höegh"). Höegh agreed to pay CAD $2,729,000 for the benefit of settlement class members and to provide co-operation to the Plaintiffs in pursuing their claims against the remaining non-settling defendants (the “Höegh Settlement Agreement”). The Settlement Agreement is not an admission of liability, wrongdoing or fault by Höegh.
The Courts approved the Höegh Settlement on December 9, 2025, December 16, 2025 and February 10, 2026. The Courts also approved the lawyers fee requests on December 12, 2025, December 16, 2025 and February 10, 2026. A copy of the Courts orders can be found here.
Previous Settlements:
A settlement agreement was reached with the defendant Compania Sud Americana De Vapores S.A. ("CSAV") in July, 2016. Under the terms of its settlement agreement, CSAV agreed to pay CAD $450,000 for the benefit of settlement class members and to provide co-operation to the Plaintiffs in pursuing their claims against the non-settling defendants. CSAV did not have any direct commerce to Canada of Vehicle Carrier Services during the relevant time period. The CSAV settlement has received the necessary Court approvals.
A second settlement agreement was reached with the defendants Mitsui O.S.K., Ltd., Mitsui O.S.K. Bulk Shipping (U.S.A.), Inc., Nissan Motor Car Carrier Co. Ltd., and World Logistics Service (USA) Inc. (collectively, “MOL”) in September, 2022. Under the terms of its settlement agreement, MOL agreed to pay CAD $7,000,000 for the benefit of settlement class members and to provide cooperation to the Plaintiffs in pursuing their claims against the non-settling defendants. The MOL settlement has received the necessary Court approvals.
The settlements are not an admission of liability, wrongdoing or fault by CSAV or MOL, but a compromise of the disputed claims. The litigation is continuing against the remaining non-settling defendants.
Distribution of Settlement Funds:
Settlement funds will not be distributed to class members at this time. The settlement funds reached to date, less court-approved fees, disbursements and applicable taxes, are being held in an interest-bearing trust account for the benefit of settlement class members. The continuing litigation may or may not result in further settlements or judgments. If there is a further recovery, it will be added to the present monies and an efficient distribution will be made at an appropriate time. The Courts will approve when and to whom the settlement funds will be distributed.
Certification/Authorization
On April 1, 2019, the Superior Court, before the Judicial District of Montréal, authorized the class action on behalf of the following group:
Any person who purchased in Québec vehicle carrier services (RoRo) or who purchased or leased in Québec a new motor vehicle, new farm machinery or new construction equipment that was transported by RoRo vessels between February 1, 1997, and December 31, 2012.
To view a copy of the Québec authorization order click here.
On April 14, 2020, the British Columbia class action was certified on behalf of the following class:
All British Columbia resident persons who, during the Class Period of February 1, 1997 to December 31, 2012, purchased Vehicle Carrier Services from a Defendant, or purchased or leased a new Vehicle in British Columbia that had been transported using Vehicle Carrier Services provided by a Defendant. The definition of Vehicle includes automobiles, trucks and high and heavy equipment such as buses, trucks, and agricultural and construction vehicles.
To view a copy of the BC certification order click here.
The Settlements:
There is nothing you need to do at this time. The Courts have approved all of the settlement agreements reached to date as fair, reasonable and in the best interest of class members. Any questions regarding the settlements should be directed to Class Counsel.
Opting out of the proceedings:
The Court ordered deadline to opt-out (exclude yourself) from the Class Action was May 10, 2017. If you are a class member and did not previously opt-out, you are legally bound by the results of the Class Actions, including the settlement agreements approved to date.