A new agreement between Singapore and the U.K. will allow certain companies from both countries to import goods with less paperwork and cargo inspections, Singapore Customs announced June 27. The deal, outlined in a "Mutual Recognition Arrangement of Authorized Economic Operator programs" signed June 23, will expedite export clearances for companies certified by the Singapore Customs and the U.K.'s Revenue and Customs. Lim Teck Leong, Singapore Customs deputy director-general, said the deal brings both countries' customs cooperation "to the next level" and encouraged more companies to become certified under the program.

The Federal Maritime Commission hired John Crews as the first director of its Bureau of Enforcement, Investigations and Compliance, the commission said May 8. He will “supervise and coordinate the personnel and activities” of the FMC enforcement program's three offices that were consolidated to form BEIC.

The American Cotton Shippers Association asked the Federal Maritime Commission to uphold a recent summary decision that ordered carriers to stop adopting, maintaining and enforcing regulations or practices that "limit the ability of a motor carrier to select the chassis provider." In an amicus brief filed to the FMC May 8, ACSA said it supports the decision because agreements between ocean carriers and non-party Intermodal Equipment Providers (IEPs) place limits on the “choice in chassis provisioning for U.S. cotton exporters, thereby causing delays in the movement of cotton, creating avoidably inefficiencies, imposing needless costs, and ultimately undermining the competitiveness of U.S. cotton shipments in the global marketplace."

CertiFit, a Utah-based auto parts importer, on May 4 filed a complaint with the Federal Maritime Commission against Evergreen Line, accusing the ocean carrier of violating shipping regulations. CertiFit accused Evergreen of "systematically failing to meet its commitments" under a service contract, "refusing tendered cargo, refusing to provide empty containers, failing to provide necessary information concerning booking issues, and a refusal to deal," the complaint said. CertiFit is seeking reparations for Evergreen's alleged violations of the Shipping Act.

Orient Overseas Container Line has "a long history of maintaining the highest standards of regulatory compliance in the U.S. and elsewhere and an equally longstanding tradition of strong customer relationships and excellent customer service," the company emailed May 1 after being accused by Bed Bath & Beyond of violating U.S. shipping regulations. "We will continue to work with our customers and all relevant authorities to resolve any disputes in a professional, efficient, and amicable manner." Bed Bath & Beyond filed a complaint at the Federal Maritime Commission last week saying OOCL failed to meet "minimum quantity commitments" as part of a contract between the two companies (see 2305010049).

Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) said shipping company Orient Overseas Container Line Limited (OOCL) failed to meet "minimum quantity commitments" as part of a contract with BBBY and imposed unfair detention and demurrage charges. In an April 27 complaint filed with the Federal Maritime Commission, BBBY asked the FMC to investigate OOCL for violations of the Shipping Act, order the company to put reasonable detention and demurrage practices in place and require it to pay reparations for the conduct.

NEW ORLEANS -- Federal Maritime Commissioner Max Vekich signaled he’s open to a further expansion of FMC authority, including potentially allowing the FMC to scrutinize certain rail storage fees.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union said it has reached a "tentative agreement" with the Pacific Maritime Association on "certain key issues," but talks are still ongoing. ILWU Local 13, which represents dockworkers at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, said in an April 20 press release that talks "are continuing on an ongoing basis until an agreement is reached" on a new labor contract (see 2303270032).

Operations have resumed at both the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach after workers returned for their evening shift on Friday night, Bloomberg reported on April 7, ending a worker shortage that began the previous day (see 2304070060). The Pacific Maritime Association, which represents West Coast ports, had claimed that the shortage was due to deliberate action by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union amid contract negotiations (see 2304070060).

The Federal Maritime Commission is updating its current user fees. The changes are meant to reflect changes in salaries for employees of fee-generating services. Some fees will increase due to the increase in salaries for employees of those agencies, while for one service the rule lowers fees as "less-senior employees" are assigned to the "fee-generating activity," according to the memo. Comments on the new rule are due April 20. The rule will take effect June 5 if no comments are received.