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Fmc News

11 Mar 2024

US FMC Names Usman Chief Information Officer

© BKP / Adobe Stock

Mohammad “Ali” Usman has been hired as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Federal Maritime Commission and appointed to be a member of the Senior Executive Service.Usman will serve as director in all areas of information technology (IT) and as the primary IT technical advisor to the Managing Director.He assumes his new duties effective immediately.“Well functioning, publicly accessible, and secured information systems are vital to being able to meet the mission of a government agency in the 21st Century. Mr.

27 Feb 2024

FMC Updates Controlled Carrier List

Source: Hede (HONGKONG) International Shipping Limited

Hede (HONGKONG) International Shipping Limited has been classified by the US Federal Maritime Commission as a controlled carrier of the Government of the People’s Republic of China and added to the agency’s Controlled Carrier List.The Controlled Carrier List was further revised by removing COSCO Shipping Lines (Europe) GmbH, which has ceased serving the US trades and has cancelled its tariff. Other COSCO entities remain on the list.Controlled Carriers are ocean common carriers operating in the US-foreign trades that are…

11 Feb 2024

FMC Mulls Investigation into Suez and Panama Canal Impacts

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The US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) held an informal public hearing examining impacts from attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden on February 7.Opening the hearing, Commissioner Carl Bentzel, voiced concern about safe access through both the Suez and Panama Canals.“What is at stake is severe international economic disruption. The United States is still recovering from the aftershock of the pandemic induced supply chain disruption that that saw 30% increases…

26 Jan 2024

Congressmen Urge FMC to Finalize OSRA Provisions

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Two U.S. Congressmen are urging the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to finalize the rule on demurrage and detention billing requirements required in their Ocean Shipping Reform Act that became law in 2022.The Ocean Shipping Reform Act was signed into law on June 16, 2022 and provides authority to the FMC to investigate ocean carriers’ business practices and apply enforcement measures following the unreasonable refusal of American exports throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.In January 2023, U.S.

12 Jan 2024

FMC to Hold Hearing on Red Sea Shipping Conditions

© lexan / Adobe Stock

The United States' Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) will examine how conditions in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden regions are impacting commercial shipping and global supply chains, during an informal public hearing on February 7.The hearing will allow stakeholders in the supply chain to communicate with the Commission how operations have been disrupted by attacks on commercial shipping emanating from Yemen, steps taken in response to these events, and the resulting effects.In addition…

18 Dec 2023

Ask What Your Government Can Do For Your Industry (A 2023 Retrospective)

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John F. Kennedy’s famous locution, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but you can do for your country” remains the rallying call for civic action and public leadership. The message remains foundational to the success of the United States, particularly as we head into an election year that once again appears to be filled with divisiveness and vitriol. That said, before we flip the calendar, it is important to set JFK’s message aside for a moment and reflect upon what our political leadership in Washington…

11 Dec 2023

C-Innovation Names Cribley Business Development Manager

Lucas Cribley (Photo: C-Innovation)

Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) affiliate C-Innovation (C-I) has welcomed back Lucas Cribley as its new business development manager.During his more than 20-year career, Cribley worked as the program manager and first employee in a joint venture start-up between ECO and FMC Technologies, in which he secured and managed major Inspection, Maintenance, & Repair (IMR), light construction, and Riserless Light Well Intervention (RWLI) projects. As a senior manager at TechnipFMC, Cribley…

05 Dec 2023

Norwegian Parliament Strikes Deal to Advance Seabed Mining

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Norway's minority government and two opposition parties have agreed to allow seabed mineral exploration in the Arctic region, they said on Tuesday, in a key step towards full-scale ocean mining.The deal comes as Norway hopes to become the first country to make deep-sea mining happen on a commercial scale and secure critical minerals and jobs despite concerns over the environmental impact and international calls for a moratorium.The amended version of the government's proposal, which parliament will formally debate on Jan.

13 Oct 2023

Connecting the Dots: From Remote Operations to Full Autonomy

Image courtesy Harvest Technology Group Limited

Realizing the full value of digital solutions far exceeds the capability of technology. The technology exists today to help offshore energy and maritime operators radically improve efficiency and cut costs in equal measure. The real trick to driving efficiencies is to take advantage of the latest technologies while at the same time negotiating the necessary culture change within individual organizations, to really reap the benefits.Harvest Technology Group is a relatively young and small Australian company that has caught the attention of a number of offshore and subsea industry heavyweights…

20 Sep 2023

Portugal and Norway Team Up on Floating Offshore Wind

Source: Norwegian Offshore Wind

The Portuguese cluster Forum Oceano and Norwegian Offshore Wind have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration between the supply chains in the two countries.The MoU aims to lay the ground work for new contracts between companies from the two countries.The agreement was signed at a reception this week, during a visit to Portugal organized by Norwegian Offshore Wind and The Norwegian Embassy in Portugal.Forum Oceano and Norwegian Offshore Wind both focus on developing a strong supply chain in floating offshore wind.

15 Dec 2022

US Probing Shipping Lines’ Anti-retaliation Compliance

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The United States' Federal Maritime Commission said it is asking the top 20 shipping lines calling the U.S. to provide information on how they are complying with the new prohibitions on retaliation established by the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA).The added protections against retaliation were created by Section 5 of OSRA and became effective immediately upon the law’s enactment in June. The prohibitions apply to common carriers, marine terminal operators (MTO), and…

10 Nov 2022

Chris Hughey Named FMC General Counsel

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U.S. federal Maritime Commission Chairman Daniel B. Maffei announced Phillip C. “Chris” Hughey has been hired as the General Counsel of the Federal Maritime Commission and appointed to be a member of the Senior Executive Service.In his capacity as General Counsel to the Commission, Hughey will provide legal advice and recommendations to the Chairman and Commissioners on regulatory and policy matters. He will serve as a member of the agency’s senior management team and will also…

02 Nov 2022

US Mid-term Elections Bring Changes, Uncertainty in Congressional Maritime Leadership

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Regardless of whether the Republicans seize or the Democrats maintain control of the House and Senate, there is a guarantee that changes in leadership will occur in some of the key Congressional leadership positions that will impact the maritime industry. Two of the most significant Congressional committees of jurisdiction are the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (House T&I) and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Senate Commerce). Both committees have jurisdiction over the U.S.

13 Sep 2022

NVOCCs Caught in the Middle of Ocean Shipping Reform Act

NVOCCs are caught in the middle of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 requirements for reporting demurrage and detention; FMC needs to pump the brakes and allow the industry to catch upThe Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022, passed by Congress without industry input and signed into law on June 16, has left the industry in a difficult position regarding how to comply with the new requirements for invoicing demurrage and detention (D&D) charges.At issue is the Container Availability Date…

09 Aug 2022

Empty Containers in East Coast Ports enter FMC's Crosshairs

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While there are many layers to the continued container shipping supply chain woes, and the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission has set its sites on the nuisance of empty containers clogging traffic, on the heals of FMC Chairman Maffei's visit to the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey."In my view, the congestion emanates from the lack of accountability in moving the buildup of empty containers back into the terminals," said Carl W. Bentzel, Commissioner with FMC. "Empty containers…

29 Jul 2022

US Federal Maritime Commission Creates New Enforcement Structure

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The United States' Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) on Friday announced it creating a new bureau to handle its enforcement and compliance activities. The agency, which is responsible for the regulation of oceanborne international transportation of the U.S., said it is consolidating its investigative and prosecution functions into a newly created Bureau of Enforcement, Investigations, and Compliance (BEIC) effective immediately.FMC Chairman Daniel B. Maffei said the reorganization…

17 Jun 2022

Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022: Long Term Fixes, But What’s in It for the Short Term?

© Sandra / Adobe Stock

The Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (the Act) was signed by President Biden on Thursday, June 16, 2022. The long term fixes, which require Federal Maritime Commission rule-making, establishes additional requirements requiring the FMC to issue rules related to certain fee assessments, prohibited practices, and establishment of a shipping registry, and prohibited conduct for ocean carriers. It further authorizes the FMC under certain circumstances to issue an emergency order requiring common carriers to share information directly with shippers and rail and motor carriers.

17 Jun 2022

Biden Signs Ocean Shipping Reform Act Into Law

President Biden at the Port of Los Angeles on June 10, 2022. (Photo: @POTUS / Twitter)

President Joe Biden on Thursday signed legislation to improve oversight of ocean shipping, which lawmakers say will help curb inflation and ease export backlogs.The bipartisan bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives on a 369-42 vote earlier this week. Biden said he had "promised to crack down on ocean carriers whose price hikes have hurt American families."The new law boosts the investigatory authority of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), the U.S. agency that oversees ocean shipping…

14 Jun 2022

US House Passes Ocean Shipping Reform Act

© angeldibilio / Adobe Stock

The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation Monday to improve oversight of ocean shipping, which supporters say will help curb inflation and ease export backlogs. The bill was approved 369-42 and will head to the White House for President Joe Biden's signature. Biden said in a statement he looked forward to signing it into law.The bill would boost the investigatory authority of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), the U.S. agency that oversees ocean shipping, and…

09 Jun 2022

Biden Urges Congress to 'Crack Down' on Shipping

(Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday urged Congress to “crack down” on ocean carriers that have raised shipping prices significantly and helped drive up the cost of goods in the country.“One of the reasons prices have gone up is because a handful of companies who control the market have raised shipping prices by as much as 1,000%,” Biden said in Twitter post. “It’s outrageous—and I’m calling on Congress to crack down on them.”“We’ve got to change this. I asked the Congress to pass a piece of legislation to remedy this. Democrats and Republicans voted for it.

09 Jun 2022

FMC Approves $2 Million Settlement Agreement with Hapag-Lloyd

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The Federal Maritime Commission approved a settlement agreement reached between its Bureau of Enforcement (BoE) and Hapag-Lloyd AG (Hapag-Lloyd) where the ocean carrier will pay a $2 million civil penalty to address alleged violations related to their detention and demurrage practices.“To restore full confidence in our ocean freight system, vigorous enforcement of FMC rules is necessary. Specifically, we must ensure powerful ocean carriers obey the Shipping Act when dealing with American importers and exporters.

09 Jun 2022

FMC Reveals Plans to Aid Shippers and Improve Supply Chains

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The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) said it is establishing three new initiatives that will provide enhanced assistance to shippers, continue to improve legal and regulatory compliance of regulated entities, and focus on remedies to supply chain problems.At the direction of Chairman Daniel Maffei, the Commission will establish a new and permanent International Ocean Shipping Supply Chain Program, re-establish the Export Rapid Response Team, and take the steps necessary for carriers…

31 Oct 2022

Maritime Antitrust Immunity in Crosshairs

© Brad Nixon / Adobe Stock

While those in the Beltway continue to struggle to offer solutions to U.S. supply chain capacity issues, it seems apparent that policymakers have at least found their scapegoat for these issues in the form of the maritime industry. A specific talking point during the State of Union Address, a White House-endorsed agreement between the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) and Department of Justice (DOJ), multiple pieces of legislation, and a vigorous hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce…

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