The chair of the Federal Maritime Commission said this week that he continues to have concerns about a new vessel-sharing agreement between major ocean carriers Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd but that the FMC can no longer legally prevent it from taking effect. The agreement officially took effect Sept. 9, the FMC said.

Two Supply Source subsidiaries have agreed to dismiss their complaint with the Federal Maritime Commission against carrier Lihua Logistics, according to a notice released by the FMC Sept. 4.

The Federal Maritime Commission this week approved a settlement between logistics company M.E. Dey & Co. and ocean carrier Hapag-Lloyd and dismissed M.E. Dey & Co.’s complaint against Hapag-Lloyd.

Maersk, which owns German container shipper Hamburg Sud, is “disappointed” that the Federal Maritime Commission ordered Hamburg Sud to pay $17.6 million to Florida-based e-commerce business OJ Commerce for Shipping Act violations, a Maersk spokesperson said Aug. 29.

The Federal Maritime Commission this week ordered AAF Logistics, a California-based non-vessel operating common carrier, to pay more than $291,000 to Chicago-based distributor Color Brands, which accused AAF in 2022 of charging for cargo insurance it didn't obtain and improperly denying damaged cargo claims.

Ocean carrier ZIM Integrated Shipping Service Ltd. and logistics firm CEVA Freight violated the Shipping Act by charging the “unreasonable” sum of $180,860 for the detention of three containers that the U.S. government temporarily seized at the Port of Charleston in South Carolina, International Lumber Imports (ILI) said in a complaint filed with the Federal Maritime Commission last week.

Shipping company OL USA notified the Federal Maritime Commission last week that it has reached a settlement agreement with Maersk, which it accused in February of violating the Shipping Act by failing to keep its "automated tariff system" open for public inspection (see 2402200007).

Importer ICL USA, which filed a complaint with the Federal Maritime Commission against trucker Dependable Highway Express and ocean carrier Mediterranean Shipping Co. seven months ago (see 2401170077), joined the other companies this month in submitting a notice of voluntary dismissal of the case.

The Canada Industrial Relations Board determined on Aug. 9 that stopping freight rail service in Canada would not result in an immediate and serious danger to the safety or health of the public. This means that members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) could go on strike as early as Aug. 22 should union members and the two Canadian freight railways, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) and Canadian National (CN) fail to negotiate a new labor contract.

Federal Maritime Commissioner Louis Sola is “confident” Panama will take needed steps to minimize future disruptions to the Panama Canal after a drought lowered water levels and impacted supply chains in recent months (see 2401180050), Sola said in a press release this week. Sola, who recently visited with Panamanian officials alongside FMC Chair Daniel Maffei (see 2407290041), said there will “always” be supply chain challenges but that he is “optimistic that continuing collaboration between the FMC and key officials in Panama will result in improving the efficiencies of this critical global trade route,” the release said.