Lidinsky News

The U.S. Senate has confirmed the nominations of three individuals to serve as Federal Maritime Commissioners: Rebecca F. Dye, Michael A. Khouri and Daniel B. Maffei. Dye and Khouri, both of whom currently serve as Commissioners, were renominated by the President to serve in terms that will last until 2020 and 2021 respectively. Maffei is new to the Commission and will serve a term that expires in 2017. “I applaud the action taken by the Senate yesterday. Each of these individuals is not only committed to public service, they also take the core mission of the Commission seriously,” said Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Mario Cordero. “The shipping industry is going through a period of significant change that dictates our close attention.

Federal Maritime Commissioners Richard A. Lidinsky, Jr. and William P. Doyle met with transportation officials from China on January 14, 2015 in Washington, D.C. Members of the delegation included Professor Yu Shicheng, Chairman of the Shanghai Maritime University Council and Director of the Shanghai International Shipping Institute (SISI); Wang Jianmin, Vice President of the Shanghai Shipping Exchange (SSE); Chen Jihong, Associate Professor at the Shanghai Maritime University (SMU); Luo Kai, a researcher at the China Academy of Transportation Sciences (CATS). Accompanying the visitors was Dr.

Commissioner William P. Doyle's remarks at the Commission Briefing on Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Port Congestion Forum, November 13 2014 in Baltimore, MD. On October 1, 2014, Commissioner Lidinsky and I hosted the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Port Congestion Forum at the World Trade Center in Baltimore, Maryland. I want to thank all the FMC staff for their participation in setting up and managing the day’s event. David Tubman and Jewel Jennings-Wright worked tirelessly for weeks helping to locate attendees and participants. Thank you both.

Top container shipping companies A.P. Moller-Maersk and MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co cleared the last regulatory hurdle to launch a vessel-sharing pact, but companies that use their services voiced concerns, particularly in China. The tie-up won U.S. approval on Wednesday after four out of five commissioners at the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) voted not to seek further information from the two shippers about the impact of the alliance on exporters and ports, one of the commissioners told Reuters. Maersk said the approval had been the last it needed from regulators around the world, including in China and the European Union, and that the alliance would begin operations in January.

Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC), the world's two largest container shippers, won approval from U.S. maritime regulators for a planned vessel sharing pact, bringing it a step closer after a bid for a larger alliance failed. The so-called 2M alliance would see the two carriers pool 185 ships on European, transatlantic and transpacific services, which Maersk Line says would save it $350 million a year. The proposal follows the rejection in June of a larger planned venture involving Maersk, MSC and France's CMA CGM by China's Ministry of Commerce on competition grounds.

Federal Maritime Commissioner William P. Doyle spoke today at the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) Government Affairs Conference in Washington, DC. There, he addressed OTI regulations, port congestion forums and the upcoming U.S.- China Bilateral Maritime Consultations. His full comments are as follows. Thank you for inviting me here today. I want to let you know that you have a tireless advocate in Ed Greenberg. Ed is always looking out for your interests—he’s on the phone calling my office…

Federal Maritime Commissioner William P. Doyle will host a forum regarding U.S. Mid-Atlantic and Northeast port congestion on October 1, 2014 at the World Trade Center in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. FMC Commissioner Richard A. Lidinsky, Jr. will co-host this forum. The forum’s goal is to examine causes and implications of congestion at U.S. ports and possible solutions in the geographic region including port activity from Virginia to Maine. Commissioner Doyle said, "There has been significant interest from stakeholders. We’re going to discuss solutions that are already in progress.

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) granted a passenger vessel operator a decrease in the amount of financial responsibility it is required to maintain to reimburse passengers when an operator fails to perform cruises as contracted. The Federal Maritime Commission has granted the request of a passenger vessel operator (PVO) for partial relief from its financial responsibility requirements used to reimburse passengers when a PVO fails to perform cruises as contracted. This is the first request granted to a PVO since the Commission updated its regulations in 2013.

Yesterday, regulators from the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission, the People's Republic of China's Ministry of Transport and the European Commission's Antitrust Unit met at FMC headquarters in Washington, DC. The regulators conducted discussions that included the roles and responsibilities of each nation. FMC Chairman Mario Cordero stated, "I called for this Global Regulatory Summit given the rapidly changing face of the international maritime sector demands. . . The scope and…

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission Chairman, Mario Cordero, issued a call to fellow regulators in the European Union and the People’s Republic of China, to join with him in a Global Regulatory Summit on the proposed P3 Global Alliance of the world’s three largest container carriers, Maersk Line, CMA-CGM, and Mediterranean Shipping. The Summit would take place in Washington, D.C., with regulators to discuss their respective regulatory roles in considering the impact of the announced Alliance.

FMC Chairman Mario Cordero and Commissioner William P. Doyle met recently with Acting Maritime Administrator Paul “Chip” Jaenechin. Topics of discussion included: U.S. – China Transportation Forum, Proposed P 3 Alliance, SISI Briefing, U.S.-flag International Fleet. U.S. The Federal Maritime Commission and the Maritime Administration will participate in the U.S. – China Transportation Forum later this month. FMC Commissioner Doyle will attend the forum as part of the U.S. delegation on behalf of the Commission. The agenda for this forum is still being formalized between the United States and China. The P3 Alliance is being proposed by the world’s three largest container carriers – Maersk, CMA CGM and MSC.

US- China Transportation Forum, Proposed P 3 Alliance, SISI Briefing, U.S.-flag International Fleet. FMC Chairman Mario Cordero and Commissioner William P. Doyle met with Acting Maritime Administrator Paul “Chip” Jaenechin on October 8, 2013. The officials discussed the recent hearing before the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. The hearing titled, Maritime Transportation Regulations: Impacts on Safety, Security, Jobs, and the Environment; Part I, took place on September 10, 2013. They also talked about the upcoming U.S. - China Transportation Forum, the proposed P 3 Alliance, and the U.S.-flag international fleet and synergies in this regard between agencies. The Federal Maritime Commission and the Maritime Administration will participate in the U.S.

Commissioner Richard A. Lidinsky, Jr. and Commissioner William P. Doyle met with representatives of the Shanghai International Shipping Institute (SISI) on September 26, 2013 in Washington, DC. Representing SISI were Professor Zhen Hong, Secretary General of SISI; Professor Zhang Jieshu, Deputy Secretary General of SISI; and Angela Xu, International Cooperation Department of SISI. The cordial discussions included an overview of China - US maritime trade, Panama Canal Expansion, China's Value Added Tax, and the proposed P3 Alliance.

The Port of Long Beach wins Federal Maritime Commission 'Earth Day' Award in recognition of its mitigation & sustainability efforts. The Port has been named one of three recipients of the 2013 Federal Maritime Commission's Chairman’s Earth Day Awards for its commitment to mitigating the environmental impacts of international shipping and for encouraging sustainability in Port operations. The selections were made in March by Richard A. Lidinsky Jr., who has since been replaced as chairman of the Maritime Commission by former Port commissioner Mario Cordero. Lidinsky will present the awards at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. Tuesday, April 23. Launched in 2010, the Earth Day Awards honor outstanding environmental contributions by stakeholders in the U.S. maritime and transportation industry.

On Tuesday, January 1, 2013, the United States Senate confirmed President Obama’s nomination of William P. Doyle, of Pennsylvania, to be a Federal Maritime Commissioner. Commissioner Doyle was sworn in on January 10, 2013. Today, a ceremonial swearing-in of Mr. Doyle took place at the Commission. Prior to his appointment, Commissioner Doyle served over 20 years in the maritime and transportation industry holding senior positions in executive leadership and operations. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts and grew up in Weymouth. His executive leadership experience includes serving as the Chief of Staff for the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association (MEBA), which coupled with his experience as an Officer in the U.S.

The Federal Maritime Commission announced four compromise agreements in which an ocean carrier and intermediaries agreed to pay a total of $625,000 in civil penalties for alleged violations of the Shipping Act of 1984. The agreements were reached with a vessel-operating common carrier (VOCC) and three ocean transportation intermediaries (OTIs). The agreed penalties resulted from investigations conducted by the Commission's Area Representatives in Los Angeles, Seattle, South Florida, and Washington, D.C. Staff attorneys with the Bureau of Enforcement negotiated the compromise agreements. The parties settled and paid penalties, but did not admit to violations of the Act or the Commission's regulations. Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Richard A. Lidinsky, Jr.

The Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure conducted a hearing on the FY 2011 Budget for the Coast Guard, the Maritime Administration, and the Federal Maritime Commission. The Subcommittee noted that budget request for FY 2011 represented a 0.4% decrease for the Coast Guard; a 3% decrease for MARAD; and a 5.8% increase for the FMC. Committee Chair James Oberstar (D - MN) expressed great concern regarding the projected decrease in the Coast Guard’s operational capabilities mandated by the proposed budget and the fact that the budget would provide no monies for either the Assistance to Small Shipyards program or the Title XI Loan Guarantee program.

In his address to the Intermodal Association of North America, the National Industrial Transportation League, and the Transportation Intermediaries Association during the Super Session, Economic Turmoil in a Sea of Financial Changes, at the 2009 Intermodal Expo and TransComp Exhibition, Chairman Richard A. Lidinsky, Jr. announced further details of the Commission's plans to undertake a comprehensive study of the impact on the U.S. trades as a result of the elimination of shipping conferences by the European Union (EU). Additionally, the Chairman recognized in his remarks that ports, carriers and other maritime interests are impacted by the on-going global economic downturn, and reiterated the Obama Administration's willingness to assist regulated parties in obtaining financial relief.

On October 14th, Speaker of the United States House of Representative, Nancy Pelosi swore in Richard A. Lidinsky, Jr. as the Federal Maritime Commission's 18th Chairman. President Barack Obama had designated then-Commissioner Lidinsky as Chairman on September 11th. Chairman Lidinsky stated, "I am most grateful to the President for his confidence in naming me to lead this important Agency. The event was attended by various government dignitaries, members of the Federal Maritime Commission, close friends, and family.