Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 Archives

New FMC rule expands shippers’ eligibility for carrier refunds

17 March 2023

WASHINGTON — A new rule requiring ocean carriers to refund importers and exporters for illegal overcharges and potentially for other violations of the U.S. Shipping Act will go into effect next month.

The changes, set out in a final rule scheduled to be published by the Federal Maritime Commission on Monday, are in the form of amendments to the FMC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure governing the assessment and collection of civil penalties. They codify provisions included in the Ocean Shipping...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/new-fmc-rule-expands-shippers-eligibility-for-carrier-refunds

China in crosshairs of new ocean shipping reforms

17 February 2023

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WASHINGTON — Add container shipping software — along with weather balloons and TikTok — to the list...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/headline-china-in-crosshairs-of-new-ocean-shipping-reforms

White House touts easing of supply chain pressures

20 January 2023

The White House has outlined progress on commitments made over the last two years to ease supply chain backups caused by the pandemic but failed to acknowledge recent signs that improvements have been losing steam.

“Just over two years ago, then-President-elect Biden addressed the nation in a prime time speech to propose his economic agenda: a plan for a strong, worker-centered economic recovery from the pandemic, followed by long-term investments to lay the foundation for more durable,...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/white-house-touts-easing-of-supply-chain-pressures

FMC considering 60-day congestion emergency order

12 August 2022

Container stacks at Port of Los Angeles.

The Federal Maritime Commission will ask the public to comment on whether supply chain congestion is severe enough to order carriers and container terminals to share their cargo availability data directly with shippers, railroads and drayage truckers.

Information received in response “will help inform the commission’s decision on whether an emergency situation exists and whether to issue an emergency order to address any such situation,” the FMC stated in a document released Thursday.

Issuance of...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmc-considering-60-day-congestion-emergency-order

FMC needs more staff to enforce ocean shipping reforms, official says

26 July 2022

The Federal Maritime Commission may not have enough staff to properly enforce ocean shipping reforms enacted in June, an official at the agency says.

“We are resource-strained right now,” said FMC Commissioner Carl Bentzel, speaking Monday during a webinar on the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA) and its effect on global supply chains.

Bentzel said the FMC has six investigators to oversee $6 trillion in containerized cargo value and affiliated intermodal...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fmc-needs-more-staff-to-enforce-ocean-shipping-reforms-official-says

Feds gives shippers new power to dispute ocean carrier charges

15 July 2022

New guidance issued by federal regulators aimed at fighting unreasonable ocean carrier charges is short on detail but long on historic importance, according to a U.S. exporter group.

The advisory enacts provisions of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA), signed into law last month, by providing a simplified process for container carrier customers who want the Federal Maritime Commission to investigate their complaints.

“Today is a landmark moment in the history of the Federal Maritime...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/feds-gives-shippers-new-power-to-dispute-ocean-carrier-charges

Experts urge quick action to comply with ocean shipping reform law

5 July 2022

Aerial view of Port of Los Angeles Pier 300

American shippers and the lawmakers supporting them were ecstatic that the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA) passed less than a year after it was introduced in Congress. However, that means all companies involved in ocean shipping must quickly start making operational changes to comply with the law, which addresses carrier billing and related issues.

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) underscored that message on June 24, when the agency’s general counsel issued an opinion confirming...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/experts-urge-quick-action-to-comply-with-ocean-shipping-reform-law

Congress passes ocean shipping reform; Biden plans to sign soon

14 June 2022

The first major overhaul of regulations governing U.S. container trades since 1998 was easily approved by Congress on Monday and President Biden is expected to sign the bill into law shortly.

By a vote of 369-42, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA) of 2022, which is the Senate’s version of a reform bill passed by the House in December.

The legislation, which broadens the powers of the Federal Maritime Commission to address unfair business practices on the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/congress-passes-ocean-shipping-reform-biden-plans-to-sign-soon

Biden to ocean carriers: ‘The rip-off is over’

10 June 2022

Biden speaking at the Port of Los Angeles on June 10.

Making the case for legislation to hold carriers more responsible for shipping costs and service standards, President Joe Biden on Friday laid much of the blame for record-setting inflation data released earlier in the day on the decks of the world’s largest ocean carriers.

“Every once in a while something you learn makes you viscerally angry,” Biden said, speaking at the Port of Los Angeles. “That’s why I’ve called on Congress to crack down on foreign-owned shipping companies that have raised...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/biden-to-ocean-carriers-the-rip-off-is-over