Browse Signals™ Monthly Updates below
December 2003
The Federal Maritime Commission announced that it has recently entered into compromise agreements which resulted in the collection of a total of $2,130,000 in civil penalties. These agreements are the…
December 2003
The Federal Maritime Commission has issued Docket 03-15 to give official notice of a proposed rulemaking (NPR) to amend the regulations governing agreements between ocean common carriers. This action…
December 2003
The FMC has begun to proceedings to revoke the ocean transportation intermediary (OTI) licenses of fourteen US based NVOCCs who have failed to comply with the tariff publication requirements of Sectio…
December 2003
New rules issued by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implement the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 will require shippers and/or consignees to give the FDA prior notice of food imported to the USA…
December 2003
The FMC has yet again extended the deadline for comments in reply to the petitions filed by United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS, Petition P3-03), and by the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Associ…
December 2003
FMC Chairman Steven Blust recently visited Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing to meet with Chinese government officials, shipping industry leaders and US State Department personnel, including US Ambassad…
November 2003
The Federal Maritime Commission received over 200 comments in response to Petition P3-03, filed in late July by United Parcel Service. UPS petitioned the FMC for an exemption from the Shipping Act t…
November 2003
Deans Overseas Shippers, Inc., a New York based household goods mover, is the subject of an FMC investigation into possible violations of the Shipping Act. According to FMC Docket No. 03-11 Deans …
November 2003
The Federal Maritime Commission’s Bureau of Enforcement will visit San Francisco and San Diego to conduct seminars on FMC regulations. These seminars provide information about the FMC’s function…
November 2003
The Federal Maritime Commission has revised the application for a license as an Ocean Transportation Intermediary (OTI) and increased reporting requirements significantly. As of October 1st, all a…
October 2003
The Federal Maritime Commission has entered into a settlement agreement with the major ocean carrier agreements and their members who serve the inbound U.S. trades with Asia, includi…
October 2003
The FMC has again extended the deadline for comments in reply to the petitions filed by United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) and by the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association o…
October 2003
Bax Global Inc. has petitioned the Federal Maritime Commission for a rulemaking to amend the Commission�s regulations to permit it and other similarly situated NVOCCs to enter into confide…
September 2003
On August 22, 2003 during the Congressional summer holidays President Bush announced the recess appointment of A. Paul Anderson of Florida to be a Federal Maritime Commissioner. Mr. Anderson’s app…
September 2003
Sinotrans Container Lines Co., Ltd. and China Shipping Container Lines Co., Ltd. have withdrawn their petitions for limited exemption from the tariff publishing requirements of Section 9 of the Shi…
September 2003
The FMC has extended the deadline for comments in reply to the petition filed in late July by United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS). Comments on Petition P3-03 are now due by 24Sep2003. In Petition P3…
September 2003
The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) has petitioned the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) for exemption from the provisions of Section 8 and 10 of the Shipping A…
September 2003
Docket 03-07has been instituted by the FMC to determine if FSL International, Inc., Full Service Logistics, Inc., and the principals of these firms violated the Shipping Act. These two closely relat…
August 2003
Vern W. Hill, Director of the Bureau of Enforcement of the US Federal Maritime Commission, has announced eleven compromise agreements recovering civil penalties in an aggregate amount of US$700,000. …
August 2003
United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS) has petitioned the Federal Maritime Commission, pursuant to Section 16 of the Shipping Act, for an exemption from the Shipping Act to permit it to negotiate, enter i…
August 2003
The FMC Secretary has announced the filing of Petition P2-03 by Sinotrans Container Lines Co., Ltd. for a limited exemption from the tariff publishing requirements of Section 9 of the Shipping Act. S…
August 2003
The Federal Maritime Commission has issued a final rule to amend its regulations on the electronic filing of service contracts for ocean transportation. FMC Docket No. 03-03 adds a provision that per…
August 2003
Hudson Shipping (Hong Kong) Ltd. d/b/a Hudson Express Lines has been ordered by the Federal Maritime Commission to pay a civil penalty of US$ 7,900,000. Hudson has also been ordered to cease and desi…
July 2003
The Federal Maritime Commission has updated its listing of ocean common carriers operating in the USA-foreign trade that are owned or controlled by foreign governments. These controlled carriers are …
July 2003
A proposal by the Indamex Agreement to delete all conference-related provisions from the agreement has been stalled by the FMC. This conference of three ocean carriers serving trade between the USA …
July 2003
The Federal Maritime Commission has issued an order revoking the license it granted to Cargo Carriers Ltd. (CCL) to operate in the USA as an Ocean Transportation Intermediary (FMC-OTI No. 13507NF). C…
July 2003
The Westbound Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (WTSA) has launched a new web site at www.wtsacarriers.org that provides useful information about surcharges assessed by its member carriers. WTSA is…
July 2003
A new discussion agreement of 11 leading terminal operators has been approved by the Federal Maritime Commission. The West Coast MTO Discussion Agreement allows the parties to discuss and agree on ra…
June 2003
The Federal Maritime Commission has decided to expand and extend its formal Investigation into allegations that ocean carrier members of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (TSA) violated the Shi…
June 2003
The Federal Maritime Commission has announced it will conduct another two-hour seminar on its regulations. This seminar will be held from 10:00am to 12:00pm on Friday June 20, 2003 at 26 Federal Plaz…
June 2003
The FMC Secretary has announced the filing of Petition P1-03 by China Shipping Container Lines Co., Ltd. for a limited exemption from the tariff publishing requirements of Section 9 of the Shipping Ac…
June 2003
The Canaveral (Florida) Port Authority Board of Commissioners has agreed to pay a $750,000 fine to settle FMC Dockets 02-02 and 02-03, according to a report published in Florida Today. Port Canaveral…
May 2003
President George W. Bush has nominated A. Paul Anderson of Florida to be a Commissioner of the Federal Maritime Commission, for the remainder of a five-year term expiring June 30, 2007. Wh…
May 2003
Many ocean carriers and NVOCCs serving the Asia/USA trade lane have recently filed Peak Season Surcharges (PSS) in their FMC Tariffs. These are effective June 1, 2003 through September 30, 2003, …
May 2003
The Federal Maritime Commission has announced it will conduct a two-hour seminar at the Port of Long Beach offices at 10:00am on Wednesday, May 14, 2003. This is another in the series of inf…
May 2003
The FMC Secretary has announced a public hearing will be held on June 11, 2003 to review proposed new regulations for passenger vessel operators serving US ports. These regulations were prop…
May 2003
The Federal Maritime Commissioners will meet in a session closed to the public on May 6, 2003 to review Fact Finding Investigation No. 25 - Practices of Transpacific Stabilization Agreement …
April 2003
The FMC has posted a new OTI List on its web site at www.fmc.gov This list provides names and license numbers for all ocean transportation intermediaries (OTIs) who are currently in compli…
April 2003
Many ocean carriers and NVOCCs serving the Asia/USA trade lane have recently filed General Rate Increases (GRIs) and increased bunker surcharges in their FMC Tariffs. The GRI amounts and effectiv…
April 2003
The Federal Maritime Commission has announced it will conduct a two-hour seminar at the Port of Tacoma offices at 10:00am on Wednesday April 30, 2003. This is another in the series of information…
April 2003
The Annual Performance Plan of the Federal Maritime Commission for Fiscal Year 2004 has recently been finalized. This annual planning document always provides insights into the goals and pri…
April 2003
The Federal Maritime Commission proposes to amend its regulations on the electronic filing of service contracts for ocean transportation. FMC Docket No. 03-03, issued March 26, 2003, prop…
March 2003
In response to increased administrative costs due to the new Automated Manifest System (AMS) filing requirements of the US Customs Service many ocean carriers and NVOCCs have imposed new surcharges on…
March 2003
Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Steven Blust has announced the Commission is initiating a series of informational seminars to be conducted by its Area Representatives and other personnel at vario…
March 2003
The Federal Maritime Commission has recently terminated the licenses of Ocean Transportation Intermediaries (OTIs). Most of these licenses were terminated due to failure by these OTIs to maintain val…
March 2003
The FMC has recently reissued the licenses of several Ocean Transportation Intermediaries (OTIs). These licenses were terminated due to failure to maintain valid surety bonds, however, in each case, …
March 2003
Green Master Int’l Freight Services, Ltd., a Taiwan based NVOCC with offices in Taipei and Kaoshiung, has been ordered by the FMC to pay a civil penalty of $1,530,000 due to violations of the Shippi…
March 2003
The Federal Maritime Commission has ruled that the Canaveral Port Authority (CPA) has violated the Shipping Act by unreasonably refusing to deal or negotiate with an applicant for a tug franchise at t…
February 2003
Sea-Land Service, Inc. has been ordered to pay the Federal Maritime Commission a civil penalty of $4,082,500 due to violations of the Shipping Act. According to the initial decision issued Januar…
February 2003
The Federal Maritime Commission has announced that Commissioner Rebecca F. Dye has assumed her duties at the Commission. Mrs. Dye was nominated by President Bush to serve the remainder of a 5-yea…
February 2003
The Federal Maritime Commission has dismissed Petition No. P2-02 filed by the South Florida NVOCC-NAOCC Association. This Petition was filed in October 2002 to request an investigatio…
February 2003
The Federal Maritime Commission has scheduled a meeting for February 11, 2003, with a session open to the public, and a closed portion of the meeting. In the open portion of the meeting the Commi…
February 2003
New US Customs regulations requiring the filing of detailed vessel manifests at least 24 hours prior to loading of ocean cargo became effective on February 1st. These new "Automated Manifest Syst…
January 2003
As it moves forward into 2003 the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has more than enough pending dockets, petitions and investigations to keep its staff busy. Here is a brief review of the ones we t…
January 2003
New US Customs advance manifest filing regulations have generated many questions from our NVOCC clients. It is difficult for us to respond because these regulations are issued by US Customs, not the …
