The Federal Maritime Commission is granting ocean carriers special permission to immediately hike rates on containers that are being rerouted around the southern cape of Africa, in response to concerns over possible Houthi rebel attacks on usual routes through the Red Sea.
The U.K. revoked the General License for GEFCO under the Russian sanctions regime following the sale of Russian Railways' position in GEFCO, a joint venture between Russian Railways and Stellantis. The license permitted business operations with the joint venture or its subsidiaries, but after Russian Railways' sale of its stake on April 8, GEFCO is no longer subject to U.K. sanctions. Also on April 8, French shipping group CMA CGM announced it had acquired nearly 100% of GEFCO, an auto transport company.
Democrats who lead the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis are asking major carriers for extensive documents and proprietary information, saying they have the authority to investigate price gouging and profiteering connected to the pandemic.
Major steamship lines and express couriers suspended Russia service in recent days in response to the war in Ukraine. Maersk, MSC and CMA CGM announced March 1 they are suspending bookings to and from all Russian ports, following Hapag Lloyd’s similar announcement Feb. 24 and Ocean Network Express’ partial suspension Feb. 28. UPS confirmed a total stop in service March 1, and FedEx on Feb. 28 stopped inbound service to Russia.
The Federal Maritime Commission is investigating the surcharge practices of eight ocean carriers after receiving industry complaints that the carriers have “improperly” imposed fees, the commission said Aug. 4. The carriers -- CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, HMM, Matson, MSC, OOCL, SM Line and Zim -- have until Aug. 13 to respond to questions by the FMC’s Bureau of Enforcement and to “provide details that confirm any surcharges were instituted properly and in accordance with legal and regulatory obligations.”
Shipping company CMA CGM recently announced a port congestion surcharge on inbound and outbound cargo from Kenya, threatening to turn the port of Mombasa into a “logistical nightmare,” The Standard reported Feb. 26. The company will levy the fee when certain ships are delayed at the port, the Kenyan newspaper said, and could impose total charges of $20,000 to $45,000, depending on the ship's size. At least one local industry group has protested the charge and hopes CMA CGM will reverse its decision, the report said, although industry fears other shipping lines may impose similar charges. CMA CGM introduced the charge to “recover money it had lost due” to the congestion at the port, the report said. The company didn’t comment.
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CMA CGM, American President Lines, APL, and ANL Singapore are asking the Federal Maritime Commission for permission to retroactively apply service contract rates and terms to shipments received on or after Sept. 27 for a period of 60 days (see 2010090022). Their petition also is asking for the ability to retroactively apply tariff rates communicated to its customers but that have not been published because of “major system impacts due to the recent cyber-attack.” The FMC is asking for public comments on this request through Oct. 15.
The Saudi Ports Authority recently announced a new shipping lane connecting Saudi Arabia with East African countries, according to an April 8 report from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. The lane, provided by French shipping company CMA CGM, will provide a “weekly direct service” between Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Kenya, the report said. The lane is expected to cut shipping times between Africa and Saudi Arabia by seven days by eliminating the need for cargo to first travel through European ports, which took as long as 29 days.