The Federal Maritime Commission has approved a confidential settlement between Access One Transport and Zim Integrated Shipping Services and dismissed Access One’s complaint against Zim. The settlement, approved June 4, comes after Access One accused Zim in April of charging unfair detention and unfair chassis, storage, stop-off and redelivery fees for containers that couldn't be returned due to lack of appointments or terminal closures out of its control (see 2404230050).
The Federal Maritime Commission is hoping to release a rule this fall that would create a registry for national shipping exchanges, FMC Chair Daniel Maffei said during a May 29 event hosted by the Consumer Technology Association. The Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 gave the FMC until June 2025 to craft the rule, and lawmakers have called on the FMC to provide a counterbalance to China's Shanghai Shipping Exchange, which they said is poised to become a monopoly without more competition (see 2402020060).
The Federal Maritime Commission's recently issued final rule on detention and demurrage billing requirements was "silent" on some of the recommendations the National Shipping Advisory Committee has offered in recent months (see 2403070061), said Rich Roche, NSAC member and senior vice president at Mohawk Global.
A Flexport spokesperson this week disputed U.S.-based Giti Tire's allegations that Flexport violated U.S. shipping laws (see 2405200019), saying the logistics company tried "everything" to resolve the dispute, but Giti "refused to pay their obligations."
The Federal Maritime Commission is investigating conditions imposed by the Canadian government that "may adversely affect" the operation of U.S. carriers in the U.S.-Canada Great Lakes trade, the FMC said. The new Canadian regulations, which are set to take effect in September, would require U.S. vessels to install new ballast water management systems, the FMC said in a notice released May 21.
Flexport violated U.S. shipping laws by charging unfair detention and demurrage fees and millions of dollars in other "accessorial charges" at unreasonable rates, U.S.-based Giti Tire said in a complaint filed with the Federal Maritime Commission May 16. It alleged Flexport's invoices lacked required information, were "excessive and unreasonable" and duplicated charges also invoiced to another party, leading to $12.7 million in damages.
The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association filed a complaint with the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Ship and Dock Foremen Local 514 on May 10 for the labor union's "conduct" and its "intransigence at the bargaining table," the association said.
Flexport violated U.S. shipping laws when the logistics company failed to perform its "inland transportation obligations" and charged unfair detention and demurrage fees, Peloton said in a complaint filed with the Federal Maritime Commission May 3. Peloton said it paid "thousands" of improper detention and demurrage charges totaling "millions of dollars."
The Federal Maritime Commission has jurisdiction on cargo moved inland only under a through bill of lading, and contracts between a vessel-operating common carrier and a motor carrier not based on the through bill of lading would "likely be" outside the scope of commission's new detention and demurrage rule released in February (see 2402230049), the commission said. The FMC, in a correction to that rule set to be published in the May 9 Federal Register, stressed that a vessel-operating common carrier must comply with the new detention and demurrage requirements when issuing an invoice if FMC's jurisdiction applies.
Maersk has increased its Peak Season Surcharge as the company continues to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope for the "foreseeable future" because of Yemen-based Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea (see 2401290052), the ocean carrier said May 6. The higher charges are being put in place to offset the cost of the longer journeys, increased sailing speeds and additional fuel costs.