The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) reminds all ocean carriers and shippers impacted by Hurricane Harvey that its Office of Consumer Affairs and Dispute Resolution Services (CADRS) can be of assistance in the aftermath of the storm. While other federal agencies have primary jurisdiction and responsibility for relief and recovery efforts, the Commission through CADRS can facilitate solutions to commercial disagreements that might impede the resumption of cargo flow.

For a comprehensive list of services the FMC can provide, please see the Cargo Shipment Assistance web page. Requests for assistance related to retrieving or receiving cargo in transit should be communicated in writing to complaints@fmc.gov with the words "Rapid Response Request: Hurricane Harvey” in the subject line of the message. The Commission will issue further updates and guidance as circumstances develop and warrant.

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Over the past year three long time FMC Area Representatives have retired and been replaced by new staff. At Los Angeles, long time Area Rep Oliver Clark has retired, and his desk is now manned by Karl Hansen. The FMC’s Seattle office is now staffed by Shadrack Scheirman, who is assisted by Diane Rebollo, Assistant Area Representative. FMC was well represented in Seattle by Michael Moneck, whose responsibilities and investigations frequently included Trans Pacific shipping. Moneck began working for the FMC in 1990 as an investigator based in San Francisco. In New York, Ron Podlaskovich has retired; Ron P. was the Director of the FMC Office Transportation Intermediaries (OTI) before transferring to the New York field office, and was an industry veteran, having worked many years for Zim Line and other carriers before joining the Commission. FMC is now represented in New York by Erin Tasova, who is assisted by Matthew Frost. Contact info for all the FMC Area Representatives, including those based in Miami, Houston, and Washington, DC is provided on the FMC’s contacts web page.

The FMC’s Area Representatives represent the Commission and are based at key U.S. ports to facilitate the flow of information between the Commission and maritime industry and the shipping public. They help coordinate with FMC’s office of Consumer Affairs and Dispute Resolution Services and work closely with the FMC’s Bureau of Enforcement to investigate alleged violations of shipping statutes. They provide advice and guidance to the shipping public, collect and analyze information of regulatory significance, and assess industry conditions. The Area Reps frequently cooperate and coordinate with other Federal, state and local governmental agencies to help the Commission protect the shipping public from unlawful, unfair, and deceptive practices.

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Several carrier members of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (TSA), FMC Agreement No. 011223 serving the East Asia/USA trade lanes (U.S. Imports) have adjusted fuel surcharges effective October 1 through December 31, 2017. Details are as follows.

Here is a table of carriers that have posted BAF amounts, both TSA members and non-members:

Several TSA carrier members have updated their respective tariffs to include new General Rate Increases (GRIs) effective September 15, 2017 and October 1, 2017. See table below for GRI amounts per 40ft container; GRI amounts for all other container sizes are as per formula. COSCO will apply the October 1 GRIs to refrigerated cargo. For some carriers, these September and October GRIs will be the eleventh and twelfth GRIs of 2017 for the East Asia/USA trade lane, respectively.

Tables of carriers that have posted GRI amounts, both TSA members and non-members:

The TSA Carrier group only issues recommended guidelines to its member carriers. The group's web site at www.tsacarriers.org provides additional information; however, each carrier maintains its own tariffs and controls its own pricing.

The TSA's 10 member carriers are: American President Lines, CMA CGM, COSCO Container Lines, Evergreen Marine, Hapag-Lloyd AG, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Maersk Line, Mediterranean Shipping, OOCL, and Yang Ming Marine.

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Several members of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement Westbound (TSA), FMC Agreement No. 011223, whose member carriers serve the USA/East Asia trade lanes (U.S. Exports), have adjusted their fuel surcharges for the October to December 2017 quarter. Details are as follows:

Some TSA Westbound Carriers have also updated their tariffs to provide General Rate Increases (GRIs) effective October 1, 2017.

APL filed a GRI of USD 150 per 40ft dry container. COSCO filed USD 50 per dry 40ft container for cargo from Long Beach/Los Angeles/Oakland; USD 100 per FEU for cargo from US East and Gulf Coast Ports/Seattle/Tacoma; USD 150 per FEU from all intermodal points transiting via US West/East/Gulf Coast Ports.

Hyundai will apply USD 50 per container for agricultural products. NYK will apply USD 250 per 40ft refrigerated container.

OOCL filed GRIs of USD 80/100 per 20ft/40ft, respectively, for cargo from Vancouver/Seattle/Tacoma/Los Angeles/Long Beach/Oakland/East Coast Ports, and USD 120/150 per 20ft/40ft, respectively, for all other US origins.

GRI amounts for all other container sizes are as per formula. The TSA Westbound Carrier group only issues recommended guidelines to its member carriers. The group's web site at www.tsa-westbound.org provides additional information; however, each carrier maintains its own tariffs and controls its own pricing. General rate increases are filed only in carrier tariffs.

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