RANCH MIRAGE, Calif. -- The Federal Maritime Commission is increasing its enforcement action against ocean transportation intermediaries (OTIs) to promote adherence to licensing and tariff regulations, speakers said at the Pacific Coast Council’s Western Cargo Conference last week.

Shippers will face no new charges after Section 301 fees on Chinese-built and -owned vessels take effect Oct. 14, DHL said in its monthly ocean freight update. Most carriers have moved their Chinese-built vessels onto other routes, so that only about 15% of capacity is Chinese-owned and 5% is Chinese-built on trans-Pacific eastbound routes, and even lower percentages are affected on trans-Atlantic westbound routes.

The Federal Maritime Commission announced Oct. 1 that it has suspended operations as part of the U.S. government shutdown and has furloughed its entire workforce except its three commissioners.

A Federal Maritime Commission small-claims officer on Sept. 22 dismissed a complaint against ocean freight forwarder Sefco Export Management Co. and non-vessel-operating common carrier Schumacher Cargo Logistics, saying Dina Piteira of Portugal failed to show that the firms deliberately mishandled her shipment of two electric vehicles.

The Federal Maritime Commission is reviewing a federal court decision issued this week that said the FMC’s 2024 demurrage and detention billing rule (see 2402230049) arbitrarily and capriciously exempted motor carriers from being assessed those fees (see 2509230039). "The Commission is reviewing the court's opinion and will take appropriate action going forward," a commission spokesperson said in a Sept. 24 email.

EcoBamboo, an Oklahoma-based importer of bamboo products used in privacy fencing and construction, has accused non-vessel-operating common carrier Ship4wd of violating the Shipping Act by failing to properly handle a shipment from Indonesia to the U.S., according to a complaint filed with the Federal Maritime Commission on Sept. 2.

The New York-based entity formerly known as Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. has accused France-based ocean carrier CMA CGM of charging “unjust and unreasonable” demurrage and detention fees during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a complaint filed Sept. 2 with the Federal Maritime Commission.

Vietnam-based Southern International Co. (SIC) has accused Daynamez Group of Companies of Fairfax, Virginia, of failing to reserve cargo space with carriers despite receiving full payment of more than $2.4 million to do so for 558 containers, according to a complaint filed Aug. 26 with the Federal Maritime Commission.

The Federal Maritime Commission is revoking exemptions for several carriers that had allowed them to impose new rates, charges, classifications, rules or regulations with less than the commission’s required 30 days’ notice. The action applies to certain controlled carriers -- vessel-operating common carriers owned or controlled by a foreign government -- because they have been removed from the FMC’s list of controlled carriers “over the years.” The agency said they either no longer offer “carriage in the U.S. trades” or have since been bought by private companies.

A Federal Maritime Commission small claims officer on Aug. 7 dismissed a complaint against New Jersey-based Citi Freight Logistics (CFI) and Best International Cargo (BIC) of Canada, saying HP Logistics (HPL) failed to show that the firms engaged in unfair charging practices for dismantling and shipping an excavator from Tennessee to Vietnam.