The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) announced it has determined that Spain has created unfavorable shipping conditions against U.S.-flagged vessels. As a result, the FMC is proposing remedies to counteract those unfavorable conditions, including charging fees for all Spanish-flagged vessels and restricting the import of certain Spanish goods.

The FMC initiated an investigation in December 2024 to determine whether Spain is creating general or special conditions unfavorable to shipping in U.S. foreign trade by barring certain vessels from its ports, including vessels transporting cargo under the United States Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Maritime Security Program.

The FMC’s investigation found conclusive evidence that Spain denied U.S.-flagged vessels access to its ports. The Commission concluded that these actions created unfavorable shipping conditions in the foreign trade. In order to address these unfavorable conditions, the FMC proposed implementing a per-voyage fee on all Spanish-flagged vessels of $200,000 and restricting import of certain Spanish goods into the United States. The trade categories facing possible restriction include perfumery and cosmetics, oils and fats, ceramics, articles of stone, and sugar and confectionaries.

The FMC is seeking public comment on these proposed actions. Comments are due by December 14, 2026. For more information, visit Regulations.gov. The FMC will offer Spain an opportunity for a hearing on this matter.

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) announced it will host a research symposium on March 31, 2027. This event will bring together scholars conducting research on demurrage and detention practices and policies, as well as industry experts. The group will share insights regarding the use of detention and demurrage to incentivize cargo fluidity and velocity.

The symposium will focus on the following overarching research question:

• What economic theories or quantifiable frameworks can be developed and used to evaluate the relationships among compensatory costs, detention and demurrage charge levels, and the behavioral responses necessary to effectively incentivize cargo movement and freight fluidity?

The FMC is now accepting submission from individuals interested in sharing their papers examining the policies and effects of detention and demurrage. The Commission is encouraging paper submissions that develop and/or evaluate methodologies for setting detention and demurrage charges above compensatory costs in order to maintain and demonstrate an effective incentive. The FMC is also seeking paper submissions that examine methodologies to improve cargo velocity and freight fluidity.

Submissions are due February 15, 2027. Registration for the symposium opens March 1, 2027. For more details on the symposium, please see https://www.fmc.gov/articles/fmc-symposium-on-dnd/.

Several leading carriers serving the Transpacific container trades have recently updated their respective tariffs to include new General Rate Increases (GRIs) effective November 15, 2026, including CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, Hapag Lloyd, HMM Company Limited, 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 November 15th GRIs will be the twenty second GRI of 2026 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 December 1, 2026, including CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, Hapag Lloyd, HMM Company Limited, 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 December 1st GRIs will be the twenty third GRI of 2026 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.