New FMC Dispute Process Will Reduce Delays, Industry Expenses, AgTC Says
The Agriculture Transportation Coalition praised a recent Federal Maritime Commission industry advisory that outlined its new complaint submission process (see 2207140045), calling it a “landmark moment in the history” of the FMC.
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The advisory, which describes how parties can submit disputes of carrier charges that may not be complying with the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022, represents a “shift” in the FMC's enforcement posture and a “pivotal transition” for the commission, AgTC said in a July 15 email to industry. Previously, aggrieved shippers were “forced” to hire lawyers to bring complaints to the FMC, AgTC said, and the commission “would stand by and let the lawyers duke it out,” leading to costly and lengthy legal battles.
“Now the Commission is providing the shipping public -- exporters, importers, and their freight forwarders -- with the means to affordably convey information to the Commission, upon which the Commission’s own expert staff can initiate investigation,” AgTC said. “No lawyers, no delay.”
Shippers fighting unfair carrier practices will no longer be “forced to ask their company’s CEO to budget hundreds of thousands of dollars to hire Washington, DC lawyers for a complaint that will take years and will likely be unsuccessful,” AgTC said. “Today the Commission provides the specific information that logistics managers or others in the company can accumulate and submit, and it is all well within their ability to do so.”