The Federal Maritime Commission plans to hold a public forum focused on U.S. port congestion, the agency said. "The forum’s goal is to promote dialogue on the causes and implications of congestion at U.S. ports," it said. The event is scheduled for Sept. 15 at the Port of Los Angeles Administration Building and will be moderated by FMC Chairman Mario Cordero.
The Federal Maritime Commission released notices on recently received applications for Ocean Transportation Intermediary licenses, as well as reissuances and revocations and terminations of current agreements. Interested parties may contact the Office of Transportation Intermediaries at 202-523-5843 or at OTI@fmc.gov.
The Federal Maritime Commission released a notice of the filing of the following agreements under the Shipping Act of 1984. Interested parties may submit comments on the agreement to the Secretary, Federal Maritime Commission, Washington, DC 20573, within 10 days.
A proposal by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to prohibit the coercion of drivers to violate trucking rules would “open a Pandora's box of unintended consequences” for customs brokers and forwarders, said the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America in comments dated Aug. 7. Because refusing drivers that are about to violate hours of service limits could be considered coercion under the proposal, the end result would be cargo sitting at docks because the driver wouldn’t be able to move it and the arranger of transportation wouldn’t be able to call the trucking company to get a new driver, said NCBFAA.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is proposing to codify its standard operating procedures for issuing special permits under the Hazardous Materials Regulations. Special permits are issued by PHMSA to allow for deviations from hazmat rules. PHMSA’s proposed rule adds to its regulations the standard operating procedures for evaluating and approving special permits. The proposed changes “do not change previously established special permit and approval policies,” said PHMSA. Comments are due Oct. 14.
The Federal Maritime Commission will change its rules for claims of Shipping Act violations involving less than $50,000, it said. "The current rules provide that claims less than $50,000 will be decided by a Settlement Officer appointed by the Commission’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Specialist," said the FMC in a notice. The new rules provide that claims in the amount of $50,000 or less will be decided by a Small Claims Officer appointed by the Commission’s Chief Administrative Law Judge." The change will be effective Nov. 7, unless "unless significant adverse comment is received" by Sept. 8, it said. Because the change is not a "major rule," a proposed rulemaking notice is not required, said the agency.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is proposing new regulations covering reverse logistics for certain hazardous materials. The agency’s proposed rule addresses requirements for goods that are shipped back to the vendor, distributor, manufacturer, or other entity for the purpose of returning, recalling product, or replacement. For shipments of hazardous materials covered by the proposed regulations, PHMSA would relax segregation requirements to allow the mixing of various hazard classes as long as the packages are not leaking, and would create a separate set of packaging standards. The new provisions would only apply to truck shipments under hazard classes 1.4 (ammunition), 2.1 (flammable gas), 2.2 (non-flammable compressed gas), 3 (flammable and combustible liquid), 4.1 (flammable solid), 5.1 (oxidizer), 5.2 (organic peroxide), 6.1 (poisonous materials), 6.2 (infectious substance), 8 (corrosive material) and 9 (miscellaneous). Air, ocean, and rail shipments would still be subject to hazardous materials rules for normal shipments. Comments are due Oct. 10.
The number of commercial truck crossings into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico was 10.8 million in 2013, which was 1.1 percent more than in 2012, according to statistics released on July 25 by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The 2013 increase comes on top of gains from 2010 to 2012, following four years of decline from 2005 to 2009, said BTS. The announcement came as the agency posted 2013 border crossing and entry data to its website (here).
Several “significant developments” over the past year should make U.S. ports more competitive with their North American counterparts and help stem the trend of U.S. inland cargo coming in through Canadian and Mexican ports, said the Federal Maritime Commission in a report issued on July 21. According to the update to the commission’s 2012 “Study of U.S. Inland Containerized Cargo Moving through Canadian and Mexican Seaports,” the drop in market share for U.S. ports has begun to stabilize after losing business to Canadian ports, especially Prince Rupert, over recent years. That trend should be reinforced by several recent events, including an information sharing agreement between the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma and enactment of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014, said FMC.
The Federal Maritime Commission released a notice of the filing of the following agreements under the Shipping Act of 1984. Interested parties may submit comments on the agreement to the Secretary, Federal Maritime Commission, Washington, DC 20573, within 10 days.