Agriculture Trade Group Seeks Congressional Inquiry on Container Weight Verification Rule
Congressional involvement is needed to figure out how onerous Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) container weight verification rules were approved by the International Maritime Organization without U.S. input, said the Agriculture Transportation Coalition in a position paper (here). "We…
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believe this situation, and the need to avoid similar circumstances in the future, warrants a Congressional inquiry," the group said. Specifically, Congress should look into the IMO process and "the means by which the United States can be bound, and how this rule was adopted without U.S. exporter or importer notice or input, or consideration of impact on US economy," it said. Concerns for the requirements, which the IMO approved in 2014 (see 14051911) and are to take effect July 1, have increased in recent months (see 1512090029). The group also called on the Coast Guard, which is expected to enforce the requirement, to seek comment and delay any enforcement before it's clear U.S. commerce won't be slowed as a result. The U.S. also should only implement new weight verification requirements if the top 15 trading partners have also implemented such rules, the group said. Peter Friedmann, a lobbyist that is working on the issue and helped develop the position paper, said in a separate email that Federal Maritime Commission and Coast Guard officials are set to meet with carriers on Feb. 18 to discuss the issue. The FMC didn't return a request for comment.