New guidance issued by federal regulators aimed at fighting unreasonable ocean carrier charges is short on detail but long on historic importance, according to a U.S. exporter group.
The advisory enacts provisions of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA), signed into law last month, by providing a simplified process for container carrier customers who want the Federal Maritime Commission to investigate their complaints.
“Today is a landmark moment in the history of the Federal Maritime Commission and the U.S. shipping public,” said Peter Friedmann, executive director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC), in a statement. “The provisions in OSRA calling for informal processes to facilitate effective FMC enforcement are perfectly implemented in the Commission’s Industry Advisory today.”
The one-page advisory outlines steps for filing charge complaints against the carriers. Among the steps are identifying the carrier and the alleged violation, submitting documentation, confirming that the disputed charge was incurred after the June 16 enactment of OSRA, and submitting all the materials in one email, if possible, to the FMC.
Read more in an article from American Shipper.