The Federal Maritime Commission reorganized its enforcement divisions by consolidating them into a new agency: the Bureau of Enforcement, Investigations and Compliance. Created last week, it will be led by an attorney with regulatory, prosecutorial and investigatory experience. FMC Managing Director Lucille Marvin will be acting director until a permanent director is hired.
A new strategic partnership between the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking and international non-governmental organization Liberty Shared will help in the fight against forced labor, DHS said in a news release. "The partnership with Liberty Shared, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding signed this week, will enable CCHT to further streamline intelligence, initiate new criminal investigations, and advance ongoing investigations to hold corporations and individual perpetrators accountable," DHS said.
The U.S. should enter into a free trade agreement with the government of Taiwan "by the end of next year," former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said during a July 26 Atlantic Council webinar. The former secretary, now on the board of the think tank, went on to say that not only should the U.S. pursue an agreement with Taiwan, but that America should persuade its European allies to do the same, regardless of pushback from China.
The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America is seeking feedback from its members on the recently implemented Ocean Shipping Reform Act. In a July 25 email to members, the group asked for questions, experiences and concerns with OSRA, including how “your operations are being impacted” by the new measures. Members should send their input to mmontgomery@ncbfaa.org. OSRA was signed into law in June (see 2206160064) and already has resulted in a new Federal Maritime Commision complaint submission process for certain carrier charges (see 2207150031).
Correction: David Craven represents Global Aluminum, an importer that, alongside Kingtom Aluminio, CBP also found to have evaded antidumping and countervailing duties in an Enforce and Protect Act case prior to reversing its decision during a Court of International Trade case (see 2207140021).
The Agriculture Transportation Coalition praised a recent Federal Maritime Commission industry advisory that outlined its new complaint submission process (see 2207140045), calling it a “landmark moment in the history” of the FMC.
The Federal Maritime Commission this week issued guidance to parties looking to dispute carrier charges that may not be complying with the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022. The guidance outlines the steps for submitting a complaint with the FMC.
The Federal Maritime Commission’s spring 2022 regulatory agenda includes a new mention of a proposed rule that could revise and clarify certain Shipping Act requirements. The rule would specifically propose to “modernize outdated requirements” and clarify existing ones associated with the filing of ocean common carrier and marine terminal operator agreements. The FMC plans to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking in August with a comment period ending in September and a final rule in December.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is issuing a final rule reclassifying the smooth coneflower (Echinacea laevigata), a perennial herb native to Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The listing includes a 4(d) rule for this species that prohibits importation and exportation without a permit.
The Fish and Wildlife Service on July 5 released a final rule listing the Canoe Creek clubshell (Pleurobema athearni), a freshwater mussel species endemic to a single watershed in north-central Alabama, as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. New import and export restrictions set by the agency’s final rule take effect Aug. 5.