Commissioner Maffei Participated in the First Annual Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Conference of the Americas

On Monday, November 14, 2016 Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Commissioner Daniel B. Maffei participated in the First Annual Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Conference of the Americas in Miami, Florida. Commissioner Maffei spoke on the plenary panel titled “The FMC and TSA—Two Regulatory Agencies – One Approach to Compliance?”

As part of the four member panel, which also included representatives from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration, UPS International, Inc., and Seaboard Marine, Commissioner Maffei provided the audience with a broad overview of the FMC’s role as regulator of U.S. international ocean transportation, highlighting the agency’s efforts to work closely with stakeholders and regulated entities to ensure compliance and, where necessary, address violations efficiently and effectively.

“I truly believe the industry should see the FMC as a partner. We want to have a dialogue so we can best respond to the needs of the industry and make compliance as straight forward as possible,” said Commissioner Maffei. “Our goal is to work with you to ensure the best freight transportation system possible for the American people.”

During a question and answer session led by the panel’s moderator, Commissioner Maffei touched on some of the potential compliance challenges that regulated entities face in this era of new, restructured ocean carrier alliances, encouraging ocean transportation intermediaries to consider a variety of factors, not just price, when entering contracts. In addition to discussing compliance concerns facing regulated entities today, the panelists further proposed steps that regulated entities can take to avoid regulatory intervention and, where agency intervention is desired, what agency assistance is available.

The Florida Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association, Inc. (FCBF) is a trade association representing the Florida freight forwarding and customs brokerage community. The mission of FCBF is to facilitate communications between the trade community and the federal agencies in order to expand Florida’s trading communities at the local, state, and national level.