Market demand for ocean carriers from Asia to the U.S. West Coast has picked up as importers rush to beat any additional increases in tariff rates -- including potentially higher U.S. duties on goods from China, according to multiple sources.
A Federal Maritime Commission administrative law judge ordered Chinese ocean carrier COSCO Shipping Lines June 6 to pay California-based motor carrier Access One Transport $32,495 in reparations for imposing unfair detention fees.
Shippers are continuing to press the Federal Maritime Commission for clarity around which agency should regulate certain rail storage fees imposed by ocean carriers on through bills of lading, saying little progress has been made in recent months, despite urging from the National Shipping Advisory Committee.
A Federal Maritime Commission administrative law judge ordered ocean carrier SM Line Corp. May 28 to pay consumer goods company Samsung Electronics America $1.9 million in reparations for unfair demurrage and detention fees.
The Federal Maritime Commission this week launched an investigation on whether the vessel flagging laws, regulations or practices of foreign countries or shipowners, including the use of flags of convenience, are creating “unfavorable shipping conditions in the foreign trade of the United States.” The FMC said May 21 that its “nonadjudicatory” investigation will look into whether those practices or laws are violating U.S. shipping regulations, specifically referring to foreign countries that lower their shipping standards or ease “compliance requirements to gain a potential competitive edge” on vessels from other nations.
A Federal Maritime Commission administrative law judge has approved a confidential agreement to settle allegations by U.S.-based protective equipment supplier AirBoss Defense Group that non-vessel-operating common carrier FedEx Trade Networks Transport & Brokerage and ocean carrier Mediterranean Shipping Co. charged unfair demurrage and detention fees, according to an FMC notice released May 15.
PKDC LLC, a Colorado-based furniture distributor, accused China-based ocean carrier Cosco Shipping Lines Co. of charging “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in unfair demurrage and detention fees, according to a complaint filed with the Federal Maritime Commission this month.
A Federal Maritime Commission administrative law judge April 28 denied a complaint by Texas importer Visual Comfort & Co. (VCC) against Chinese ocean carrier COSCO Shipping Lines Co., saying VCC presented insufficient evidence that COSCO charged it $1.2 million in unfair demurrage, detention and storage fees.
Transportation and logistics firm DHL is now allowing business-to-consumer shipments to private individuals in the U.S. where the declared value exceeds $800, effective April 28, according to a service update.
Recent U.S. trade actions, such as the IEEPA tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico, the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum derivatives, and the temporarily paused reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries worldwide, could cause global container volumes to slump by 1% in 2025, according to U.K-based maritime shipping advisory firm Drewry.