The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is gathering information about seven international maritime chokepoints. The Commission is seeking to identify any regulations, policies, or practices that create unfavorable shipping conditions in these areas.

The FMC will examine seven chokepoints:  the Northern Sea Passage, the English Channel, the Malacca Strait, the Singapore Strait, the Strait of Gibraltar, the Panama Canal, and the Suez Canal. The Commission has a statutory mandate to monitor and evaluate conditions affecting shipping in U.S. foreign trade. The Commission will investigate whether constraints on transits through these areas has created unfavorable shipping conditions. The FMC has the power to issue regulations to combat unfavorable conditions if it finds that the conditions are created by a foreign country’s laws or regulations or the “competitive methods, pricing practices, or other practices” used by the owners, operators, or agents of “vessels of a foreign country.”

The FMC requested public participation in the investigation and issued the below six specific questions. The Commission is particularly interested in responses from foreign governments, container shipping companies, vessel owners, bulk cargo operators, and tramp operators.

1. What are the causes, nature, and effects, including financial and environmental effects, of constraints on one or more of the maritime chokepoints described above?

2. To what extent are constraints caused by or attributable to the laws, regulations, practices, actions, or inactions of one or more foreign governments?

3. To what extent are constraints caused by or attributable to the practices, actions, or inactions of owners or operators of foreign-flag vessels?

4. What will likely be the causes, nature, and effects, including financial and environmental effects, of any continued transit constraints during the rest of 2025?

5. What are the best steps the Commission might take, over the short term and the long term, to alleviate transit constraints and their effects?

6. What are the obstacles to implementing measures that would alleviate the above transit constraints and their effects, and how can these be addressed?

Interested parties may submit comments to the Commission on or before May 13, 2025 via www.regulations.gov. For more information, read the full notice on the Federal Register.

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) issued a statement to alert the public that government contractors are receiving fraudulent solicitations from individuals using e-mail addresses disguised to appear as originating at the FMC.

The FMC reminds the public that an FMC government agency e-mail address always ends with the “.gov” extension.

Individuals receiving unsolicited e-mails which appear to be from a sender at the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission should:

• Make certain the e-mail address ends in “@fmc.gov”.
• Confirm that the e-mail address does not include, or end in, “.org” or any other domain abbreviation.

Any e-mail that does not have “@fmc.gov” at the end of the address did not originate at the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission.

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) delayed an amendment to the New York Shipping Exchange (NYSHEX) Agreement (FMC No. 201234). The amendment would have allowed ocean common carriers to participate on the NYSHEX index board. The Commission determined that the agreement as submitted lacked sufficient detail to allow for a complete analysis of potential competitive impacts and whether the agreement fully complies with all statutory requirements.

The index board would discuss and agree on all aspects of the development, implementation, modification and auditing of NYSHEX’s container freight indices. NYSHEX plans to use these indices to facilitate index-based contracting for ocean carriers and NVOCCs. To obtain additional information necessary to evaluate the agreement, the FMC issued a formal Request for Additional information (RFAI).

The Commission has 45 days from when it determines responses to the RFAI are deemed complete to review the agreement for competitive and legal concerns before it becomes effective. Changes to the NYSHEX Agreement would have gone into effect Wednesday, March 12, 2025, but for the RFAI.

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission does not possess the authority to approve or deny an agreement. The Commission can seek to enjoin an agreement if it is likely to substantially reduce competition. A reduction in competition may occur by creating an unreasonable reduction in transportation service or increase in transportation costs. For more information on the Agreement, visit FMC’s Agreement Library.

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) received one new formal complaint in March 2025 alleging violations of the U.S. Shipping Act and FMC regulations.

Unreasonable Cargo Practices – FMC Docket No. 25-05: Francis Sheka Kanu, a Charlotte-based shipper, filed a formal complaint against Ejike Dickson Eze dba Ejike International Trade Limited; Sealines International and Seamates International, Inc.; and Maersk. Kanu alleges various violations of the U.S. Shipping Act.

Specifically, in June 2021 Kanu arranged to ship a container from Charlotte, NC to Sierra Leone via Maersk with Ejike International and Sealines. Despite booking the container to Sierra Leone for arrival in September 2021, Kanu alleges the cargo was re-routed to Pointe Noire, Congo. Moreover, the cargo did not arrive at Pointe Noire until November 2021. Kanu attempted to facilitate movement of the cargo to Seirra Leone but has been unsuccessful to date. He alleges damages of $80,000 plus expenses.

Kanu requests the Commission order the Respondents to cease and desist from these Shipping Act violations, to re-export the container to Sierra Leone, to pay reparations and expenses, and to provide any other relief the Commission deems proper.

For more details visit the FMC’s online reading room. The FMC’s reading room provides access to FMC dockets, related documents, notices, and orders.

Several leading carriers serving the Transpacific container trades have recently updated their respective tariffs to include new General Rate Increases (GRIs) effective April 15, 2025, including CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, Hapag Lloyd, HMM Company Limited, Ocean Network Express (ONE), Yang Ming, and ZIM. See table below for GRI amounts per 40ft container; GRI amounts for all other container sizes are as per formula. The April 15th GRIs will be the eight GRI of 2025 for the East Asia/USA trade lane. 

NOTE 1:  COSCO GRIs apply on all cargo moving under service contracts only.   

NOTE 2:  Evergreen GRIs will be USD 3000 per 40ft container for dry cargo, and USD 3000 per reefer container.  GRI amounts for all other container sizes are as per formula. 

Some carriers also updated their tariffs to include new General Rate Increases (GRIs) effective May 1, 2025, including CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, Hapag Lloyd, HMM Company Limited, Ocean Network Express (ONE), Yang Ming, and ZIM. See table below for GRI amounts per 40ft container; GRI amounts for all other container sizes are as per formula. The May 1st GRIs will be the ninth GRI of 2025 for the East Asia/USA trade lane. 

NOTE 1:  COSCO GRIs apply on all cargo moving under service contracts only.   

NOTE 2:  Evergreen GRIs will be USD 3000 per 40ft container for dry cargo, and USD 3000 per reefer container.  GRI amounts for all other container sizes are as per formula. 

Each carrier maintains its own tariffs and controls its own pricing.

The information contained herein is obtained from reliable sources. It is subject to change at any time, however, depending on changes in laws and regulations. While we continually attempt to monitor this information, we do not guarantee its accuracy and are not responsible for any damages suffered by any party in reliance on it.