National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America

Ocean carriers: Keep rail storage fee disputes at STB

WASHINGTON — Confusion over which federal agency has the power to resolve disputes over fees charged by railroads to store ocean containers will only get worse if Congress follows the advice of the shippers getting hit by the fees, ocean carriers contend.

A coalition of 75 shipper groups — led by the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America, the National Industrial Transportation League, and the National Retail Federation — appealed this week to lawmakers to clarify that...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/ocean-carriers-keep-rail-storage-fee-disputes-at-stb

Shippers, brokers square off over ocean carrier tariff prices

Brokers booking freight on behalf of their customers say they have no choice but to pass through charges assessed by ocean carriers — charges that some shippers claim are unjustified.

That was one of the main takeaways from the only three public comments filed in response to an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued by the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) in April.

The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA), the New York New Jersey Foreign Freight...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/shippers-brokers-square-off-over-ocean-carrier-tariff-prices

NCBFAA’s 35-year general counsel retires

NCBFAA

Ed Greenberg plans to retire as general counsel for the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) at the end of December after 35 years of representing the ocean freight transportation intermediary industry in Washington.

Greenberg, 78, made the decision four weeks ago after spending the past six months working from his home office and enjoying the presence of his 2-year-old grandson.

“It had never occurred to me. I had no interest in retirement,” Greenberg told...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/ncbfaas-35-year-general-counsel-retires

FMC examines ocean carrier billing practices

U.S. Federal Maritime Commission

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) said it is seeking information from the container-shipping public on alleged attempts by ocean carriers to hold companies financially responsible for transportation services that they did not contract for and may not legally be required to pay.

The FMC said it received comments for its earlier Docket No. 19-05, Interpretative Rule on Detention and Demurrage under the Shipping Act, from industry groups such as the Agriculture Transportation Coalition and...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/fmc-examines-ocean-carrier-billing-practices

3PLs frustrated by ocean service contracted rate upheaval

Federal Maritime Commission

For many U.S. freight forwarders and consolidators moving freight during the coronavirus pandemic, it is as if the container-shipping rates of their initially contracted transport arrangements with the ocean carriers are no longer valid.

The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) has voiced this concern to the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) in a recent white paper and asked the agency to launch an investigation. The FMC is tasked with monitoring the...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/3pls-frustrated-by-ocean-service-contracted-rate-upheaval

FMC keeps spotlight on ocean forwarder, consolidator concerns

U.S. Federal Maritime Commission

The coronavirus pandemic may have disrupted international supply chains for much of the year, but a top official at the Federal Maritime Commission said his agency has remained vigilant in its responsibility to ensure competition within the U.S. ocean container shipping trades.

“I am pleased to say that, because of advance planning and preparation, the commission has remained fully open and operational throughout these difficult times,” FMC Chairman Michael Khouri told online attendees of the Nat...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/fmc-keeps-spotlight-on-ocean-forwarder-consolidator-concerns

PayCargo helps shippers, forwarders pay it forward

PayCargo

The downturn in imports and exports over the past five months due to the coronavirus pandemic has left many small and mid-sized companies wondering if they will be financially prepared to participate in the global economic recovery.

Strict COVID-19 travel restrictions and reduced freight volumes have severely disrupted cash flow between the myriad players typically involved in international freight transactions – shippers, freight forwarders and customs brokers, and carriers.

Philip Philliou,...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/paycargo-helps-shippers-forwarders-pay-it-forward

Career Tracks: Former Freightquote COO tapped to lead VeriShip

VeriShip, an SaaS-based business optimization and spend management platform, has hired logistics industry veteran and former company adviser Shawn McCarrick as chief executive officer.

VeriShip said it has been controlling shipping expenses for small and midsize businesses for 15 years, with data and analysis on 70 million packages shipped annually through DHL, FedEx, UPS and Fulfillment by Amazon. 

McCarrick spent nearly a decade with freight services broker Freightquote. He joined the company...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/career-tracks-former-freightquote-coo-tapped-to-lead-veriship

US customs brokers, forwarders cautiously trickle back to offices

After several months of stay-at-home orders, America’s customs brokerage and freight forwarding firms are preparing to reopen their offices in the weeks and months ahead. However, these companies do not anticipate a return to pre-coronavirus conditions, industry experts say.

“Our return-to-office plan considers that the future of work, as we have known it for all companies around the world, is shifting,” Marcia Lyssy, chief human resources officer for BDP International, told American Shipper.

Phil...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/us-customs-brokers-forwarders-cautiously-trickle-back-to-offices

Steering US customs brokers, forwarders through COVID-19

Janet Fields of Savannah, Georgia-based John S. James Co. is no stranger to risk management issues at the corporate level. But Fields, the recently appointed president of the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA), is seeing those skills put to the test as the industry weathers the dismal effects on trade from the coronavirus pandemic.

Fields was nominated to serve as NCBFAA president in January, following two years as the association’s vice president and decades...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/steering-us-customs-brokers-forwarders-through-covid-19

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