The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission is continuing to move aggressively against what it sees as unreasonable charges and business practices of the major carriers. In a filing dated last week, the Office of Enforcement is recommending that the commission review the tariffs of Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) for a possible civil penalty related to its insistence on continuing to maintain an “ambiguous surcharge” in its tariff for congestion.
The effort seeking to impose a civil penalty comes from what appeared to be an innocuous case over a $1,000 congestion fee issued by MSC to a shipper. The carrier recently refunded the charge, but the FMC’s Office of Enforcement found that the carrier continues to have the questionable clause within its tariff, which it sees as a possible violation of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022.
Read more in an article from The Maritime Executive.