FMC Chair Removes Freight Indices Item from Agenda, Saying Analysis 'Incomplete'
Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Richard Lidinsky removed the item on container freight rate indices from the FMC's Sept. 12 agenda "because in my opinion our internal legal analysis of this important issue was incomplete," he told us Sept. 12. "Before we vote to take this important step I wanted every legal aspect as clear as possible."
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Lidinsky said the postponement "will probably be just until our October 11 meeting."
The item was Docket No. 12-07: Solicitation of Views on Requests to Develop and Release Container Freight Rate Indices for U.S. Agricultural Exports based on a Sampling of Service Contracts filed with the FMC. Industry reaction to the proposal was divided, but many commenters said they found it difficult to evaluate the FMC proposal due to lack of sufficient information about how the indices would be created and what the actual impact of the indices would be. (See ITT's Online Archives 12082213).
The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America said many of its members thought the indices were unnecessary, and would likely be inaccurate. Commenters also said they feared they might weaken competition among carriers and be misused by foreign entities.