Daniel Maffei, who was a commissioner on the Federal Maritime Commission, is no longer at the agency due to the expiration of his term, the FMC said in a news release. Maffei's term officially ended on June 30, 2017, but commissioners are allowed a one-year holdover period, and his ended June 29, 2018. Maffei joined the FMC in July 2016. The departure leaves the FMC with only two commissioners.
The Federal Maritime Commission is responding to importers' complaints that ocean carriers are unilaterally canceling the port/container yard-to-final-customer-destination leg of cargo contracts. The carriers say the shortage of trucking capacity is to blame The commission's Bureau of Enforcement began an "expedited inquiry" into the cancellations on April 20, it announced April 23. Shipping lines will need to respond FMC's letters within 30 days.
The Federal Maritime Commission will on Feb. 14 hold a meeting to discuss a petition filed by the Coalition for Fair Port Practices calling for new rules on demurrage, detention and per diem fees during events beyond the control of shippers (see 1612080021), the FMC said in a news release. The meeting will be closed to the public.
The Federal Maritime Commission is issuing a proposed rule to lift non-vessel-operating common carrier service arrangement (NSA) filing and “essential terms” publication requirements, and to allow NVOCC negotiated rate arrangements (NRAs) to be modified at any time. Under the proposal, an NVOCC would be able to provide for shippers’ acceptance of an NRA by booking a shipment thereunder if the NVOCC incorporates a “prominent written notice” in each NRA or amendment, the FMC said. Specifically for NSAs, the FMC is proposing to exempt them from a requirement to file them in its Service Contract Filing System (SERVCON), and is proposing to except NVOCCs from the requirement to publish, in tariff format, the essential terms of any NSA.
The Federal Maritime Commission created a new webpage to highlight the FMC's regulatory reform efforts, it said in a news release. The site "contains a comprehensive collection of links to all materials related to this undertaking including a brief chronology of the Commission’s Regulatory Reform Task Force to date, a report provided by the Regulatory Reform Officer to the Commission earlier this year, and comments received from the public outlining their regulatory reform priorities," it said.
The Federal Maritime Commission will meet on Nov. 8 at 10 a.m. to discuss the Supply Chain Innovation Teams and the review process for the Carrier and Marine Terminal Operator Agreement, the agency said. The FMC will also consider "commission action" on a National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America petition involving negotiated rate arrangements, it said. The NCBFAA filed the petition in 2015 (see 1504290019) and the FMC issued a related final rule earlier this year (see 1704030022).
The Federal Maritime Commission voted on Sept. 20 to hold a public meeting on "demurrage, detention and per diem business practices and charges being assessed at various ports around the country by marine terminal operators (MTO) and vessel ocean common carriers (VOCCs)," the agency said in a news release. The meeting comes in response to an industry petition for the FMC to prohibit such fees during unexpected events (see 1612080021). "Witnesses to be invited to testify at the hearing will include: legal representatives of the petitioners, trade and shipper associations representing various interests, individual importers, exporters, customs brokers, freight forwarders, logistics companies, trucking and drayage companies, VOCCs, port authorities, and MTOs," the agency said. The testimony will help as the FMC "considers options to accept, modify or reject the proposed rule" mentioned in the petition, it said. FMC Commissioner Rebecca Dye also gave an update on efforts by the Supply Chain Innovation Teams, with a report expected to be published this fall, the FMC said.
The Federal Maritime Commission will meet on Sept. 20 at 10 a.m. to discuss the Supply Chain Innovation Teams and the review process for the Carrier and Marine Terminal Operator Agreement, the agency said. The FMC will also talk about a petition filed by the Coalition for Fair Port Practices (see 1612090018).
The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) suggested to the Federal Maritime Commission "a significant number of changes" to how non-vessel operating common carriers and ocean forwarders are regulated, the association said (here). The FMC on June 1 issued a notice of inquiry (here) seeking comments on its regulatory reform initiative (see 1705300046). NCBFAA recommended the FMC totally remove NVOCC rate tariffs from regulation since they “now exist only to preserve unnecessary jobs for tariff publishers or to provide a basis for unwary NVOCCs to become subject to FMC penalties for noncompliance.” The association also suggested that co-loading regulations be modified if not eliminated, that an FMC rule preventing forwarding fee discounts and waivers be eliminated, and that a requirement for the underlying shipper to be listed in the shipper box on the bill of lading be removed.
The Federal Maritime Commission will "soon" publish a notice of inquiry to request input on FMC regulations "that should be repealed, replaced, or modified," the agency said in a press release (here). The notice (here) mentions several issues that should be considered, including carrier automated tariffs and marine terminal operator schedules.