FMC Scrutinizing Surcharges Announced During Recent Labor Strikes
The Federal Maritime Commission is “carefully” reviewing fees and other surcharges announced, implemented or suspended by ocean carriers and terminal operators during labor strikes at U.S. East and Gulf coast port terminals earlier this month (see 2410010048), the commission said Oct. 11. The FMC’s said it's examining those fees’ “relevance and legality,” adding that all charges “must be reasonable, clearly defined, and serve a specific measurable purpose.” Shippers or other parties who believe they were wrongly billed should contact the FMC to try to resolve their dispute, report an alleged legal violation or file a complaint, the FMC said.
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The FMC notice comes days after the commission urged carriers and terminal operators not to retaliate against shippers for questioning an invoice or filing a complaint with the FMC, warning that it will pursue serious penalties against those that violate the anti-retaliation provisions of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (see 2410020018).