The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has been thrust into the limelight recently due to various challenges faced by the trade and complaints laid by customers in terms of

• demurrage and detention practices followed by shipping lines
• refusal by shipping lines to provide empty containers for exports out of USA
• continuous increase in freight rates
• severe delays faced by trade due to congestion in US ports

The FMC, set up under the auspices of the Shipping Act of 1984, 46 U.S.C. 40101, is responsible for regulating the US international ocean transportation system that supports the transportation of goods by water in the foreign commerce of the United States.

The Mission of the FMC is to “ensure a competitive and reliable international ocean transportation supply system that supports the U.S. economy and protects the public from unfair and deceptive practices.”
In line with its responsibility to actively respond to current issues impacting the global supply chain and the American economy, the FMC has convened teams of industry leaders to address the above-mentioned industry concerns.

For further clarity on these industry issues and its implications to global trade, you are invited to join an exclusive discussion with FMC Commissioner Carl Bentzel and Hariesh Manaadiar about “Demurrage & Detention and Managing Port Operations”. The event is being sponsored by Ocean Insights (a project44 company).

The work being done by the FMC in this regard is being followed and recognised globally because what impacts the USA, has far-reaching effects on global trade.

To register, please visit: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CeNuSmTiQrSmUZymkwgO3A

The FMC is responsible for regulating the U.S. international ocean transportation system that supports the transportation of goods by water in the foreign commerce of the United States.
To read more about the FMC and its work related to the above topics visit, https://www.shippingandfreightresource.com/tag/fmc/ 

On February 24, 2021, Canada’s Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra and United States Transportation’s Secretary, the Honourable Pete Buttigieg, issued the following statement: “Recognizing the transport sector constitutes one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions for both nations, and in light of the integrated nature of our transportation sectors, we are committed to reinvigorate our bilateral cooperation to fight climate change and limit the environmental impacts from our transportation networks—on land, air and sea. … This new focus on climate will reinforce our already vast cooperation portfolio across all modes of transportation to ensure safe, secure, and efficient transportation networks of today, while preparing for the innovations of tomorrow, and recovering our economies in a way that promotes employment, sustainability and equity.”

Joint Statement by Transport Canada and the U.S. Department of Transportation on the Nexus between Transportation and Climate Change, February 24, 2021, www.tc.gc.ca

Good news for America’s beleaguered agriculture exporters: China is buying again. A lot.  Bulk-vessel loadings are finally returning to pre-trade-war levels just as President Donald Trump is leaving office.  Bad news for exporters: Ag shipments via containers now face a double whammy.  First, exporters still don’t have enough containers to get their goods to Asia in a timely fashion.  And second, China is once again clamping down on inspections on fears that frozen food carries COVID.   When China intensifies food inspections, inland moves of reefer boxes slow.  When that happens, terminal reefer plugs — the power sources — max out.  Ships cannot unload inbound reefers at a terminal without available plugs.

Ag export equation: Bulk surge, box squeeze, ‘reefer madness’ Good news for America, November 24, 2020, www.americanshipper.com

U.S. airlines carried 21.2 million systemwide (domestic and international) scheduled service passengers in July 2020, seasonally-adjusted, up 37.5% from June 2020. BTS reported 20.3 million domestic passengers and 0.9 million international passengers on U.S. airlines flights in July 2020.

July 2020 U.S. Airline Traffic Data, July 16, 2020, www.bts.gov