The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is seeking comments by July 24 on a new data collection for "empty container volumes at intermodal locations," it said in a Federal Register notice. The data collection effort, which would implement certain parts of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022, would allow the FMC to gather information on "vessel-level tonnage as well as full and empty containers entering and leaving U.S. ports." It would also allow the Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) to collect "operational data on intermodal equipment and dwell times."

Orient Overseas Container Line denied allegations that it violated U.S. shipping regulations, saying a complaint filed by Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) in April (see 2305010049 and 2305020019) was "an unfortunate campaign to distort and obfuscate the relevant facts, contracts and law, in order to secure an unwarranted return." The container line said neither the statements in BBBY's complaint "nor the text of the contracts themselves" support claims that OOCL breached its contracts.

The Ocean Shipping Reform Implementation Act, a follow-up bill to OSRA from original co-sponsors Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., and Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., passed 58-1 out of the House Transportation Committee May 23.

Two ocean carriers recently paid a combined total of $2.65 million in civil penalties, the Federal Maritime Commission announced May 18. The penalties, assessed to Ocean Network Express Ptd. Ltd. (ONE) and Wan Hai Lines, Ltd., were paid to “resolve allegations of misconduct," the FMC said.

The Federal Maritime Commission on May 11 alerted industry that several of its applications are experiencing issues with email notifications. The affected applications are Form 1, Form 18, OTI Renewals, Form 65 Renewals, eMonitoring, eAgreements and BCL Fileroom, it said. The FMC Office of Information Technology is troubleshooting.

The Federal Maritime Commission hired John Crews as the first director of its Bureau of Enforcement, Investigations and Compliance, the commission said May 8. He will “supervise and coordinate the personnel and activities” of the FMC enforcement program's three offices that were consolidated to form BEIC.

The American Cotton Shippers Association asked the Federal Maritime Commission to uphold a recent summary decision that ordered carriers to stop adopting, maintaining and enforcing regulations or practices that "limit the ability of a motor carrier to select the chassis provider." In an amicus brief filed to the FMC May 8, ACSA said it supports the decision because agreements between ocean carriers and non-party Intermodal Equipment Providers (IEPs) place limits on the “choice in chassis provisioning for U.S. cotton exporters, thereby causing delays in the movement of cotton, creating avoidably inefficiencies, imposing needless costs, and ultimately undermining the competitiveness of U.S. cotton shipments in the global marketplace."

CertiFit, a Utah-based auto parts importer, on May 4 filed a complaint with the Federal Maritime Commission against Evergreen Line, accusing the ocean carrier of violating shipping regulations. CertiFit accused Evergreen of "systematically failing to meet its commitments" under a service contract, "refusing tendered cargo, refusing to provide empty containers, failing to provide necessary information concerning booking issues, and a refusal to deal," the complaint said. CertiFit is seeking reparations for Evergreen's alleged violations of the Shipping Act.

Over half of charge complaints submitted to the Federal Maritime Commission have been resolved by the parties agreeing to a settlement, FMC Managing Director Lucille Marvin said during a May 3 FMC meeting. More than half of what comes in gets settled "almost right away," Marvin said. Once "regulated entities see that we're involved, they come back to the table and issue refunds or waivers."

Congress should amend shipping regulations to give the Federal Maritime Commission jurisdiction over certain fees assessed by railroads under ocean bills of lading, more than 70 trade groups, including the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America, said in a May 2 letter to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The groups said those charges should be billed through the contracting carrier and be subject to demurrage and detention invoicing requirements that were included as part of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act.