Several Federal Maritime Commission systems are unavailable for use during required maintenance, including its e-monitoring, electronic reading room and certain forms, the FMC said June 13. The commission specifically said its Common Carrier Tariff and MTO Schedule Registration Automated Form FMC-1 is unavailable, as is its Application for License as an Ocean Transportation Intermediary Automated Form FMC-18. The FMC said the systems will be “electronically inaccessible to the public” until the maintenance is complete, but the FMC may be able to provide certain information via email. For e-monitoring lreports purposes, the FMC said industry should send monitoring reports, meeting minutes or other documents to tradeanalysis@fmc.gov and “cc (copy) the economist who is assigned to the agreement. Once the system is back online, we will ask you to submit the materials directly in the system.”

The June 13 passing of bill that aims to force shipping companies to accept U.S. exports on the return trip to Asia, and which further codifies Federal Maritime Commission's attempts to police detention and demurrage charges, was hailed by politicians as an inflation solution and greeted with caution by industry players.

President Joe Biden, speaking at the Port of Los Angeles, praised the collaborative work of port officials and workers and the government to break through logjams, and partly blamed foreign-owned shipping companies for rising prices.

The Federal Maritime Commission this week approved a $2 million settlement agreement with Hapag-Lloyd for alleged shipping violations involving the company’s detention and demurrage practices. Hapag-Lloyd also agreed to take several steps to improve its billing practices, including posting an updated tariff policy to its website, conducting a “training session” on the FMC’s detention and demurrage rule for all employees involved in billing, and publishing on its website a “complete list of locations that it has authorized to accept empty Hapag-Lloyd containers.”

The Federal Maritime Commission this week announced three new initiatives it hopes will aid shippers and address supply chain issues, including one that will establish a new International Ocean Shipping Supply Chain Program and another that will reestablish the commission’s Export Rapid Response Team. The FMC will also “take the steps necessary” for carriers and marine terminal operators to employ a designated FMC compliance officer.

The Federal Maritime Commission’s FMC-18 form is “currently experiencing issues,” the commission said in a June 6 notice. The FMC said it’s “working on a solution” for the glitch in the application to become an ocean transportation intermediary.

Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case you missed them. You can find any article by searching the title or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.

Commissioner Rebeccca Dye of the Federal Maritime Commission this week released the final report stemming from a two-year investigation of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the international ocean freight delivery system, which includes a dozen new recommendations to address supply chain and maritime logistics issues. The report, previewed by Dye last month (see 2205180056), has recommendations for mandatory FMC compliance officers, a clearer process for returning containers and a new investigation into carrier charges assessed through tariffs.

While most carriers that participated in the first round of the Federal Maritime Commission’s recent export audit have commendable export strategies, others have room for improvement, FMC official Lucille Marvin said. “I think that there is some work to do," Marvin told commissioners during a May 18 meeting. “The location of the exports, the location of the equipment -- none of this stuff is always in sync with each other. I think this is going to be an ongoing challenge that we have.”

The Federal Maritime Commission should require all ocean carriers and marine terminals to hire dedicated compliance officers, establish a clearer process for returning containers and launch a new investigation into carrier charges assessed through tariffs, Commissioner Rebecca Dye said. Dye, delivering a new set of recommendations during a May 18 FMC meeting, also said the commission should create a carrier-focused advisory committee and do more to support U.S. agricultural exports.