Archive for 2021

FMC Policy Statements Provide Guidance on Complaints Process

Three policy statements issued today provide new guidance to shippers and others on bringing private party complaints at the Federal Maritime Commission, addressing barriers identified by the trade community as disincentives to filing actions at the agency. These policy statements were proposed by Commissioner Rebecca F. Dye in a set… Read More »

Commissioner Bentzel Travels to Utah, meets with Inland Port, Intermodal Stakeholders

Commissioner Carl W. Bentzel travelled to Utah in November for meetings with shipping and supply chain executives to evaluate shipping technology and consider how to address supply chain challenges precipitated by the ongoing port congestion at U.S. ports. During the trip, Commissioner Bentzel met with executives from the Inland Port of Utah, the shipping company OOCL, and… Read More »

NOVEMBER 2021 ACTIVITY REPORT

STATEMENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS New Supply Chain Initiatives Announced at FMC Meeting Six Supply Chain Innovation Teams are being convened by Commissioner Rebecca F. Dye to identify and implement improvements to the process and timing of return and delivery of containers to marine terminals. FMC Effort Will Examine How Data Can… Read More »

Next Meeting of FMC Data Initiative Focuses on Drayage Trucking

The next meeting of the Federal Maritime Commission Maritime Transportation Data Initiative will be held on: Date: Tuesday, December 14, 2021 Time: 2:00-3:00 PM (Eastern Time) The meeting is open to the public and can be viewed online Commissioner Carl W. Bentzel is leading this initiative at the direction of Chairman Daniel B. Maffei…. Read More »

Commissioner Bentzel Hosts Inaugural Meeting of FMC Data Initiative

Improved data transparency and increased information sharing can make an important difference in alleviating maritime supply chain congestion, but before that can happen, industry and the government must identify what terms and classifications people will agree to use in common when discussing the movement of an ocean container from origin… Read More »

Commissioner Bentzel’s Data Initiative & National Shipper Advisory Committee Holding Meetings

The public is invited to attend two meetings taking place online from the Federal Maritime Commission the week of December 6, 2021. Commissioner Bentzel’s Data Initiative The first meeting of the maritime data initiative being led by Commissioner Carl W. Bentzel will take place on December 7, 2021, from 1:00-3:00… Read More »

Commissioners Bentzel and Sola visit PNW to explore port congestion & cruise industry issues

Federal Maritime Commissioners Carl W. Bentzel and Louis E. Sola traveled to Washington state the week of November 15-19, 2021, for meetings with port, maritime, and the cruise industry stakeholders to discuss pandemic-related impacts to those sectors and the broader issues of port competitiveness. While in the Pacific Northwest, the Commissioners met with local Coast Guard leadership and toured the Puget Sound to assess the impact of containerships anchored there waiting for access to the ports. During a site visit to the Port… Read More »

Statement by Commissioner Bentzel on the WCMTOA Amendment

Today I voted not to challenge an amendment to the West Coast MTO Agreement that will allow PierPass to only charge its Traffic Mitigation Fee during peak hours between 7:00 AM and 5:59 PM at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach (LA/LB). This amendment properly shifts the Traffic… Read More »

FMC Hires New Secretary

Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Daniel B. Maffei today announced the hiring of William “Bill” Cody to serve as the agency’s Secretary. Mr. Cody has more than 20 years of extensive legal and administrative experience at the federal and state government levels as well as in the private sector. He most… Read More »

Temporary Revision to PierPass to Take Effect

The Commission granted a request for expedited review of this amendment to the West Coast MTO Agreement, under which authority the PierPass program was established. The Federal Maritime Commission is permitting a temporary revision to the PierPass program to go into effect, allowing “off-peak” users of marine terminal gates at… Read More »