To view Signals™ Monthly Updates prior to January 2021, click here.
November 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) proposed a new rule for demurrage and detention billing practices of vessel operating common carriers (VOCCs), non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOCCs…
November 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) rejected and remanded a settlement agreement reached between Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd. (ONE) and the FMC's Bureau of Enforcement (BOE). The Commissio…
November 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) awarded a $500,000 contract to the National Academies of Science (NAS) to conduct a study examining intermodal chassis pools and provide recommendations…
November 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) received four new formal complaints in October 2022 alleging violations of the U.S. Shipping Act and FMC regulations. Unlawful Detention & Demurr…
November 2022
Several leading carriers serving the Transpacific container trades have recently updated their respective tariffs to include new General Rate Increases (GRIs) effective November 15, 2022, including CO…
October 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) met on September 21, 2022 in open and closed session to discuss the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA-2022) and the Maritime Transportation Data Ini…
October 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in FMC Docket No. 22-24 seeking comments on proposed elements required to establish an unreasonable refusal …
October 2022
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a Request for Information on the use of inland ports for storage and transfer of cargo containers on September 26, 2022. The DOT requests comments …
October 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) announced the hiring of Linda S. Harris Crovella to serve as an Administrative Law Judge in the FMC's Office of Administrative Law Judges. Judge Crovella j…
October 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) received two new formal complaints in September 2022 alleging violations of the U.S. Shipping Act and FMC regulations. Unreasonable Cargo Practices…
October 2022
Several leading carriers serving the Transpacific container trades have recently updated their respective tariffs to include new General Rate Increases (GRIs) effective October 15, 2022, including COS…
September 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) requested public comments on whether supply chain congestion has created conditions warranting the issuance of an emergency order requiring common carriers…
September 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) issued a proposed plan for gathering import and export information from vessel-operating common carriers (VOCCs) to comply with data requirements esta…
September 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) established a webpage dedicated to its actions and activities related to the implementation of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA-2022). “OSR…
September 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) received two new formal complaints in August 2022 alleging violations of the U.S. Shipping Act and FMC regulations. Unlawful Insurance Fees: Color …
September 2022
Several carriers serving the East Asia/USA trade lanes (U.S. Imports) have adjusted fuel surcharges effective October 1 through December 31, 2022. Details are as follows. Here is a table of BAF amount…
September 2022
Several leading carriers serving the Transpacific container trades have recently updated their respective tariffs to include new General Rate Increases (GRIs) effective September 15, 2022, inclu…
September 2022
Several carriers serving the USA/East Asia trade lanes (U.S. Exports) have adjusted their fuel surcharges for the October to December 2022 quarter. Here is a table of carriers that have posted BAF amo…
August 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) met on July 28, 2022 in open and closed session to discuss the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA-2022). Commission staff reported that they are mov…
August 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) announced that it is reorganizing its investigative and prosecutorial functions by consolidating them into a newly created Bureau of Enforcement, Investiga…
August 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) issued an Industry Advisory stating that it will pursue enforcement action against any conduct perceived to establish open-ended obligations or include coe…
August 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) issued an Industry Advisory to guide shippers seeking to dispute charges assessed that they believe may not comply with the Ocean Shipping …
August 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) received two new formal complaints in July 2022 alleging violations of the U.S. Shipping Act and FMC regulations. Unlawful Fees: Goforth & Mart…
August 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) announced that it will review a recent settlement agreement reached between Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd. (ONE) and the FMC's Bureau of Enforcement (BOE)…
August 2022
Several leading carriers serving the Transpacific container trades have recently updated their respective tariffs to include new General Rate Increases (GRIs) effective August 15, 2022, including COSC…
July 2022
U.S. President Joe Biden signed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA-22) into law on June 16, 2022. The Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 includes provisions that enhance the…
July 2022
U.S. President Joe Biden nominated Daniel B. Maffei to continue on as a Federal Maritime Commissioner for a second term ending on June 30, 2027 on June 8, 2022. Chairman Maffei was first nominate…
July 2022
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) announced the establishment of three new initiatives to provide enhanced assistance to shippers, continue to improve legal and regulatory compliance of…
July 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) received two new formal complaints in June 2022 alleging violations of the U.S. Shipping Act and FMC regulations. Service Contract Violations: MS…
July 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission's (FMC) Bureau of Enforcement recently proposed three settlement agreements for various alleged violations of the U.S. Shipping Act and FMC regulations in May an…
July 2022
Several leading carriers serving the Transpacific container trades have recently updated their respective tariffs to include new General Rate Increases (GRIs) effective July 15, 2022, including COSCO,…
June 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) announced increased monitoring requirements for alliance carrier operations. The three global ocean carrier alliances (2M Alliance, Ocean Alliance, and Th…
June 2022
FMC Commissioner Rebecca Dye released twelve recommendations for supply chain improvement in her Final Report for Fact Finding 29 (FF 29) on the effects of Covid-19 on the international ocean tra…
June 2022
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) met on May 18, 2022 in open session to discuss Fact Finding 29, intermodal chassis and container manufacturing, the Vessel-Operating Common Carrier (VOCC) Audit…
June 2022
Several carriers serving the East Asia/USA trade lanes (U.S. Imports) have adjusted fuel surcharges effective July 1 through September 30, 2022. Details are as follows. Here is a table of BAF amounts …
June 2022
Several leading carriers serving the Transpacific container trades have recently updated their respective tariffs to include new General Rate Increases (GRIs) effective June 15, 2022, including COSCO,…
June 2022
Several carriers serving the USA/East Asia trade lanes (U.S. Exports) have adjusted their fuel surcharges for the July to September 2022 quarter. Here is a table of carriers that have posted BAF amoun…
May 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) putting forward updates to key provisions of tariff regulations. These updates are intended to clarify existi…
May 2022
A Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ordered Hapag-Lloyd, A. G. to pay $822,220 in penalties for violations of the FMC’s detention and demurrage regulations. The A…
May 2022
U.S. Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Daniel Maffei requested a substantial budget increase in his testimony before the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation in support o…
May 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission’s National Shipper Advisory Committee (NSAC) held a meeting to vote on recommendations and discuss committee updates on April 27, 2022. At their first in-perso…
May 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) received three new formal complaints in April 2022 alleging violations of the U.S. Shipping Act and FMC regulations. Fraud and Coercion: Aeneas Ex…
May 2022
Several leading carriers serving the Transpacific container trades have recently updated their respective tariffs to include new General Rate Increases (GRIs) effective May 15, 2022, including COSCO, …
April 2022
The United States Senate passed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 - S.3580 on March 31, 2022. The bipartisan bill, which was introduced by Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-…
April 2022
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has expanded the scope of its Vessel-Operating Common Carrier (VOCC) Audit Program to evaluate how shipping lines are serving U.S. exporters according to a pres…
April 2022
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has provided an additional 30 days for public comment on the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on Demurrage and Detention Billing Requirements. Inte…
April 2022
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) met to discuss enforcement activities and a new final rule expanding the rights of passengers to secure cruise refunds on March 16, 2022. The Commission met in …
April 2022
President Joe Biden nominated Rebecca Dye to continue on as a Federal Maritime Commissioner for a term ending on June 30, 2025 on March 11, 2022. Commissioner Dye has served as a Federal Maritime…
April 2022
On April 1, 2022, the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach began to collect a Clean Truck Fund rate (CTF) of USD 10 per twenty-foot equivalent (TEU) container and USD 20 for containers long…
April 2022
Several leading carriers serving the Transpacific container trades have recently updated their respective tariffs to include new General Rate Increases (GRIs) effective April 15, 2022, including COSCO…
March 2022
Max Vekich, a labor leader from the state of Washington, was sworn in as a Commissioner of the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) for a term expiring June 30, 2026 on February 15, 2022. “Co…
March 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) asking the public for comments on whether a new rule governing demurrage and detention billing pra…
March 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission held a meeting in closed session to discuss the West Coast Marine Terminal Operator Agreement (WCMTOA) and its PierPass incentive program for off-peak gate use o…
March 2022
Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. petitioned the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) for a 90-day exemption from tariff publication requirements following a cyberattack. According to t…
March 2022
U.S. Federal Maritime Commissioner Rebecca Dye issued guidance on demurrage and detention complaints on February 15, 2022. This statement was issued pursuant to Commissioner Dye’s interim recommen…
March 2022
Several carriers serving the East Asia/USA trade lanes (U.S. Imports) have adjusted fuel surcharges effective April 1 through June 30, 2022. Here is a table of BAF amounts posted by carriers: …
March 2022
Several leading carriers serving the Transpacific container trades have recently updated their respective tariffs to include new General Rate Increases (GRIs) effective March 15, 2022, including COSCO…
March 2022
Several carriers serving the USA/East Asia trade lanes (U.S. Exports) have adjusted their fuel surcharges for the April to June 2022 quarter. Here is a table of carriers that have posted BAF amounts: …
February 2022
Several leading carriers serving the Transpacific container trades have recently updated their respective tariffs to include new General Rate Increases (GRIs) effective February 15, 2022, including…
February 2022
One Banana North America Corp. filed a formal complaint before the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission against Hapag-Lloyd AG and Hapag-Lloyd (America) LLC for unreasonable detention and demurrage …
February 2022
The Federal Maritime Commission increased the maximum penalties assessed for statutory violations effective January 15, 2022, as required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of…
February 2022
President Joe Biden renominated Max Vekich, a labor leader from the state of Washington, to be a Federal Maritime Commissioner on January 4, 2022. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Vekich’s ter…
February 2022
On January 27th, 2022, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) met virtually in both open and closed sessions. In the open session, the FMC received updates on the Commission's detention and demur…
January 2022
Some of the carriers serving the Transpacific Eastbound/Westbound trade lane (U.S. Imports/Exports) have recently updated their respective FMC tariffs to increase the Alameda Corridor Charges (ACC). T…
January 2022
The Federal Maritime Commission has begun a formal investigation under its FMC Docket No. 21-17 to determine whether Ocean Network Express PTE. LTD. and/or Ocean Network Express (North America), I…
January 2022
The Federal Maritime Commission has begun a formal investigation under its FMC Docket No. 21-16 to determine whether Wan Hai Lines, Ltd. and/or Wan Hai Lines (USA) Ltd. are violating or have viola…
January 2022
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission issued three policy statements on December 28, 2021, to provide guidance to shippers and others on bringing private party complaints before the FMC. The policy…
January 2022
The United States House of Representatives passed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021, H.R. 4996 by a vote of 364-60 on December 8, 2021. The bipartisan bill, which was introduced by …
January 2022
Several carriers have updated their tariffs to include new General Rate Increases (GRIs) effective February 1, 2022, including COSCO, Evergreen, HMM Company Limited, Ocean Network Express (ONE), an…
January 2022
Several leading carriers serving the Transpacific container trades have recently updated their respective tariffs to include new General Rate Increases (GRIs) effective January 15, 2022, including …
