On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) asked the Federal Maritime Commission how the agency is attempting to implement the Ocean Shipping Reform Act to boost American farmers’ and exporters’ ability to get goods to the global marketplace.
During a hearing for the Federal Maritime Commission, Cantwell, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, asked FMC Chairman Daniel Maffei and Commissioner Rebecca Dye about what progress the FMC has made implementing the act.
“Cargo stranded at ports harm American shippers, they harm our farmers, our fishermen, our businesses that rely on those ocean carriers to get their products to markets across the globe,” Cantwell told the FMC commissioners. “Focus on protecting American businesses.”
Port congestion that started during the COVID-19 pandemic left American farmers and other exporter struggling to get good to the global marketplace, Cantwell’s office said. In 2022, Congress passed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act to level the playing field for American exporters and provide the FMS with tools to improve oversight of international ocean carriers. The bill stops international ocean carriers from declining American export cargo, and eliminates unfair shipping charges, officials said.
The FMC finalized a rule this month that will prevent demurrage and detention. Cantwell asked how confident Maffei was that the rule, which will go into effect in May, would get rid of those fees.
Maffei said he was confident that the new detention and demurrage rule would help eliminate some of the billing abuses.
Cantwell said the final rule needs to be announced soon to help American businesses and farmers secure their place in the global market.