EU votes to include shipping and road transport in emissions trading scheme
By Nick Savvides 22/06/2022 The European Parliament voted today to include emissions from the maritime and commercial vehicle sectors in the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). The next phase of implementation will include emissions from ships operating both within the EU and those outside European territorial waters. A separate ETS will be launched for commercial…
Shippers react to passage of Ocean Shipping Reform Act
INDUSTRY groups praised the passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, which is expected to reduce shipping costs and empower the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to crack down on bad practices in ocean shipping, reports Washington, DC’s Supply Chain Dive. Federal Maritime commission chairman Dan Maffei declared the changes will bring increased accountability to ocean…
US President inks bipartisan bill to reform ocean shipping industry
US President Joe Biden has signed into law a bipartisan bill that aims to reign in the container shipping industry in a bid to ease supply chain challenges at ports and lower costs of goods. Biden signed the legislation days after it cleared the House in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote, telling an audience at the…
15 shipping companies fined US$64 million for price-fixing
KOREA’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is fining 15 companies US$64 million for price-fixing, reports Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide. The issue cites 76 specific instances on Japan routes between February 2003 and May 2019. Korea Marine Transport, Sinokor Merchant Marine and Namsung Shipping were among the 14 Korean companies fined. Hong Kong’s SITC was the only…
Ocean Shipping Reform Act goes to Biden after 369-42 vote
The US House of Representatives has voted 369 to 42 to pass the Senate’s version of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, designed to give the government’s shipping competition commission with greater authority, reports Ventura, California’s gCaptain. But shipowners, represented by the World Shipping Council (WSC) say “the bill would make existing congestion worse . .…
Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022: Long Term Fixes, But What’s in It for the Short Term?
Carlos Rodriguez, Contributor Carlos Rodriguez is a Washington D.C.-based partner with the law firm Husch… June 17, 2022 © Sandra / Adobe Stock The Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (the Act) was signed by President Biden on Thursday, June 16, 2022. The long term fixes, which require Federal Maritime Commission rule-making, establishes additional requirements…
President Biden signs OSRA 2022 into law
Oakland_California_aerial_view By Nick Savvides 17/06/2022 President Joe Biden signed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA) 2022 into law yesterday to praise from shippers and opprobrium from shipping lines. The White House announced that Mr Biden’s signature meant the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) could issue new rules “related to certain fee assessments, prohibited practices”. In addition,…
President Biden disparages ocean carriers, calls price increases ‘outrageous’
Kim BiggarJune 10, 2022 The White House President Joe Biden recently spoke by phone with several retailers and farmers to discuss ocean shipping costs and the impacts of those costs on their businesses. In a Twitter post that included excerpts of those calls, he said: “One of the reasons prices have gone up is because…
Biden Urges Congress to 'Crack Down' on Shipping
(Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz) U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday urged Congress to “crack down” on ocean carriers that have raised shipping prices significantly and helped drive up the cost of goods in the country. “One of the reasons prices have gone up is because a handful of companies who control the…
European parliament rejects proposals for EU ETS update
By Nick Savvides 09/06/2022 Members of the European Parliament (EP) yesterday rejected proposals to include shipping and road transport in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) in a surprise move by lawmakers, which drew criticism from green lobbyists who claimed centre right MEPs had watered down the proposals. However, a proposal to extend its carbon…
US FMC announces three new initiatives to assist shippers and improve supply chain performance
Kim BiggarJune 9, 2022 Port of Los Angeles The US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is establishing three new initiatives that will provide enhanced assistance to shippers, continue to improve legal and regulatory compliance of regulated entities, and focus on remedies to supply chain problems. The Commission will establish a new and permanent International Ocean Shipping…
FMC probes finds 'vigorous' competition and no skullduggery as alleged
RESULTS are in from a Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) probe to discover why shipping profits are so high while service quality is so low, reports Ventura, California’s gCaptain. But far from finding price-fixing collusion afoot as many suspected, instead the FMC discovered that pricing of was subject to normal supply and demand pressures impacted by…
European shipowners and T&E warn proposed EU shipping law could do more harm than good
ECSA and the green group Transport & Environment (T&E) have joined forces to call on EU countries and the members of the European Parliament to introduce necessary amendments to the FuelEU Maritime Regulation proposal, with the aim to align it with EU Climate Law and Paris Agreement goals. ECSA and T&E warn that the Commission…
Evolving EU sanctions keep ship owners on alert
Ship operators are braced for further disruption to trading patterns as the European Union targets a sixth round of sanctions against Russia. The headline measure in the latest package under consideration is a ban on the import of Russian oil to the EU, with trade of crude oil to be phased out within six months…
FMC calls for probe into new charges by ocean carriers and terminals
Commissioner Rebecca Dye Credit MPA By Nick Savvides 01/06/2022 The Federal Maritime Commission investigation into the ocean supply chain in the US, known as Fact Finding 29, has ended with a slew of recommendations and an admission that it lacks regulatory tools. Commissioner Rebecca Dye writes: “The commission lacks the regulatory tools to deal with…
US Department of Transportation appoints new port and supply chain envoy to work on supply chain disruptions
Kim BiggarMay 30, 2022 Port of Los Angeles The White House and the US Department of Transportation announced on May 27 that retired general Stephen R. Lyons, former Commander of the US Transportation Command, will be the new Port and Supply Chain Envoy to the Biden-Harris Administration Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force. Lyons will take…
Australian election update: National Fleet will boost Australia’s maritime industry
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has again congratulated the Australian Labor Party on its win in the country’s election, saying it will be profoundly important for the nation’s seafarers. The party promised, and now has a mandate from the Australian public, to establish a National Fleet with improved rules on coastal trading (cabotage), which…
Container lines under suspicion and in US regulators crosshairs
SINCE the Covid crisis caused a supply chain disruption, the sector has moved into political crosshairs, reports Colchester Seatrade Maritime News. By early 2021, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) was gaining attention, especially from US-based cargo owners who were feeling the pains of congestion and delays. The FMC sought to act on complaints shippers shared,…
Ukraine and Poland agree on joint customs control
© Katatonia82 By Alex Lennane 23/05/2022 Ukraine’s exports could see smoother flows after the country yesterday signed an agreement with Poland to set up a joint border customs control. The two countries are also working on a joint-venture rail company in a bid to help Ukraine continue exporting – a challenge since the Russian…
FMC to demand rate, capacity from shipping alliances
THE US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is demanding more information and pricing from container shipping alliances, reports Colchester’s Seatrade Maritime News. The alliances are accused of profiteering from the supply chain crunch. New monitoring requirements will see 2M, Ocean Alliance, and The Alliance, are mandated to provide the FMC’s Bureau of Trade Analysis (BTA) with…
UGS: The European Parliament Recognizes The Structural Role Of The Commercial Operators In Shipping And The Need For A Sector-Dedicated Fund
The Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS) welcomes the adopted position of the Committee of the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) of the European Parliament, on the revision of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) in the framework of the “Fit for 55” legislative package. The European Parliament made an important step addressing…
European Parliament brings EU ETS closer to shipping
In a vote of 60 for and 20 against, MEPs backed increased ambition for the ETS to include 100% of emissions from ocean transport routes within Europe from 2024; extra-EU routes would be covered 50% from 2024-2026 and 100% from 2027 onwards under the proposals. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted to extend the scope…
Shipping moves closer to EU’s carbon trading system as lawmakers push for GHG cuts
Adis AjdinMay 18, 2022 Shipping has moved further toward being covered by the EU’s carbon market (ETS) after the policymakers in the European Parliament’s environment committee (ENVI) voted to further bolster the emissions-reduction scheme. The ETS reform was put forward by the European Commission last July as part of a massive package to align the…
Shipping moves closer to EU’s carbon trading system as lawmakers push for GHG cuts
Adis AjdinMay 18, 2022 Shipping has moved further toward being covered by the EU’s carbon market (ETS) after the policymakers in the European Parliament’s environment committee (ENVI) voted to further bolster the emissions-reduction scheme. The ETS reform was put forward by the European Commission last July as part of a massive package to align the…
EU Parliament set to vote on Fit for 55 package to fight climate change
The EP’s Louise Weiss building in Strasbourg. Credit EP. By Nick Savvides 16/05/2022 The European Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) is tomorrow (17 May) expected to approve the Fit for 55 package that will reduce EU carbon emissions to 55% of 1990 levels by 2030. Once the committee has approved…
Container lines in US regulators' crosshairs
In the year and a half since “supply chain disruption” entered the vocabulary of US citizens, whose only interactions with container shipping were seeing boxes on trucks speeding down the motorways, the sector has moved firmly into the political crosshairs. Barry Parker | May 11, 2022 By early 2021, when vessels at anchorages – mainly…
US demands more rate, capacity information from container shipping alliances
The US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is demanding more information and pricing from the largest container shipping alliances accused of profiteering from the supply chain crunch. Marcus Hand | May 06, 2022 New monitoring requirements from the US regulator will see 2M, Ocean Alliance, and The Alliance, being mandated to provide the FMC’s Bureau of…
New monitoring requirements give US FMC more insight into alliance carrier operations
Kim BiggarMay 6, 2022 Port of Los Angeles The three global ocean carrier alliances – 2M, Ocean and THE – and each of their member companies will now be required to provide enhanced pricing and capacity information, providing the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) with uniform data to use in assessing ocean carrier behaviour and…
National Shipper Advisory Committee makes its first two recommendations to the US FMC
Kim BiggarMay 6, 2022 Port of Long Beach The National Shipper Advisory Committee (NSAC) to the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has met and adopted two recommendations that will be forwarded to the FMC for consideration. First, regarding dwell fees, the NSAC recommends that the FMC “codify regulation … that prohibits any unreasonable application of…
Europe readies further Russian shipping bans
Sam ChambersMay 5, 2022 Nakhodka Maritime Services The European Commission’s plans to ban Russian oil imports into the continent this year, as reported by Splash yesterday, are set to face a very significant fallout for shipping. Reuters is reporting that the European Commission has proposed to ban from June all shipping, brokerage, insurance and financing…