Federal Maritime Commission

From Assembly Bill 5 to COVID-19

A West Virginia senator got up to speed on a boatload of issues important to California ports and truckers in a video meeting hosted by the Harbor Trucking Association (HTA) this week.

Although she represents West Virginia, Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito casts votes that impact West Coast ports and intermodal providers as a member of the U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works, Commerce, Science & Transportation, and Appropriations committees.

Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/from-assembly-bill-5-to-covid-19

Stevedoring services join forces in Charleston

Competitors officially became collaborators Monday as the Charleston Stevedoring Co. (CSC) launched to optimize terminal, vessel and gate operations at the South Carolina port. 

CSC is a joint venture of Marine Terminals Corp.–East (Ports America), Ceres Marine Terminals and SSA Atlantic to provide container terminal and stevedoring services at the Port of Charleston.

“The new entity will provide significant benefits to the Port of Charleston, including improved container terminal services...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/stevedoring-services-join-forces-in-charleston

Three Container Shipping Carriers to File  an Emergency Cooperative Working Agreement

Coronavirus outbreak forces container shipping carriers to file  an Emergency Cooperative Working Agreement with the Federal Maritime Commission.  

The Loadstar in a recent article cited Alphaliner stating that three of the largest US container shipping carriers have applied to the FMC. The main purpose is for emergency permission to establish  cooperation on trades between the US and the Caribbean.

Partial anti-trust immunity

The container shipping carriers involved are Crowley Liner Services,...

http://mfame.guru/three-container-shipping-carriers-to-file-an-emergency-cooperative-working-agreement/

French America Line can’t offer cruises, FMC order says

A rendering of the Louisiane courtesy French America Line.

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has revoked the performance certificate of French America Line for not meeting financial responsibilities and failing to provide requested information.

The FMC order released late Friday means the riverboat cruise company, which has not operated for several years, can’t offer, advertise or run cruises.

Certificates show that operators have money set aside to reimburse passengers if cruises are canceled. French America was required to submit weekly reports of...

https://www.workboat.com/news/passenger-vessels/french-america-line-cant-offer-cruises-fmc-order-says/

Shippers and forwarders call for law to stop ‘unfair’ D&D fees by box lines

A group of shippers, freight forwarders and other liner industry stakeholders has urged the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to pass into law the interpretive rule it has drawn up on demurrage and detention practices in the US.
In a joint letter to FMC chairman Michael Khouri, by the Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTrans) and signed by 86 other shipping and logistics associations, the body that regulates liner shipping is urged to “expeditiously …

The post Shippers and forwarders call...

https://theloadstar.com/shippers-and-forwarders-call-for-law-to-stop-unfair-dd-fees-by-box-lines/

Spot rates soar as shipping resumes, but don’t take advantage, carriers warned

The newest member of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), Carl W Bentzel (pictured above), has warned transpacific carriers against hiking freight rates unfairly, as the supply chain begins to free-up in China.
“I was heartened to hear that shipping lines have indicated that there is cargo for pickup and that trucking and port operations have substantially resumed in China,” said Mr Bentzel.
The FMC has been monitoring the levels of blanked sailings …

The post Spot rates soar as shipping...

https://theloadstar.com/spot-rates-soar-as-shipping-resumes-but-dont-take-advantage-carriers-warned/

FMC set to review ‘costly and unfair’ demurrage and detention fees

The US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is backing proposals aimed at reforming how demurrage and detention fees are levied by ocean carriers on shippers. 
The main change would be that charges be suspended in cases when shippers and their 3PLs are prevented from moving cargo out of terminals by factors beyond their control.
Following an 18-month investigation into the topic by FMC commissioner Rebecca Dye, the FMC announced on Friday it had …

The post FMC set to review ‘costly and unfair’...

https://theloadstar.com/fmc-set-to-review-costly-and-unfair-demurrage-and-detention-fees/

US approves Puerto Rico terminals deal

An agreement filed at the Federal Maritime Commission allowing a joint venture between two adjacent terminals at the Port of San Juan, Puerto Rico, will go into effect on August 29. However, concerns about the agreement and its impact on the marketplace will lead the FMC to adopt a more vigorous oversight plan than its traditional monitoring program.

Under the terms of the Puerto Nuevo Terminals LLC Cooperative Working Agreement (FMC Agreement No. 201292), marine terminal operating companies...

https://container-news.com/us-approves-puerto-rico-terminals-deal/

Coast Guard authorization bill introduced

Coast Guard recruits calling a cadence. Coast Guard photo.

Last week, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR), ranking member Sam Graves (R-MO), chair of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), and ranking member Bob Gibbs (R-OH) introduced bipartisan legislation to authorize funds for, reinforce, and support the U.S. Coast Guard.

H.R. 3409, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2019 (CGAA 2019), is legislation that reauthorizes appropriations for the Coast Guard...

https://www.workboat.com/news/government/coast-guard-authorization-bill-introduced/

JB Hunt enters US freight forwarding fray after gaining NVOCC licence

One of the largest overland freight transport providers in the US, JB Hunt, has entered the freight forwarding sector after receiving an NVOCC licence from the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC).
According to ocean recovery expert Steve Ferreira, founder of Ocean Audit, JB Hunt was awarded its non-vessel operating common carrier licence “a few weeks ago”, and the FMC ocean transport intermediaries (OTI) database lists JB Hunt as an authorised NVOCC with …

The post JB Hunt enters US freight...

https://theloadstar.com/jb-hunt-enters-us-freight-forwarding-fray-after-gaining-nvocc-licence/

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