Federal Maritime Commission employees will not respond to email or phone inquiries during the shutdown, according to an update posted on the FMC website. Given the outage of several FMC databases (see 13100120), the commission will not be accepting filings for service contracts through SERVCON, Ocean Transportation Intermediary applications through the Automated OTI Application (FMC-18), or Tariff Registration Forms (FMC-1). It also won’t be accepting filings for ocean carrier or marine terminal operator agreements or amendments, or agreement monitoring reports, minutes, or transcripts. Complaints, requests for dispute resolution services, and ombudsman services won’t be accepted either.

The Transportation Security Administration should lift the requirement that carriers report monthly air cargo screening statistics, said The International Air Carrier Association Chairman Oliver Evans in a letter to TSA Administrator John Pistole. Evans said the 100 percent level for screening of inbound cargo under the National Cargo Security Program was achieved nine months ago, but the reporting requirement remains in place. Evans said this is of "great concern" because "the requirement places a significant labor and data collection burden" on the air cargo industry because companies must expend both human and IT resources to meet the requirement. Evans said Pistole should use his powers under the 2013 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act to certify that TSA has achieved screening of 100 percent of air cargo and to then lift the reporting requirement.

Interested parties have until just Oct. 31 to provide input to the International Maritime Organization on the administrative burdens that may result from compliance with IMO instruments, IMO said, citing the impending end of the six-month consultation period. An analysis of responses received to date show that most comments related to SOLAS and safety requirements, it said. The consultation process is being carried out through a dedicated website, which is accessible from the IMO website (http://www.imo.org/OurWork/rab). After the end of the consultation process, a steering group established by the IMO Council will analyze the responses to identify those administrative requirements that are perceived as burdens, and will make recommendations to the Council as to how any such burdens should be addressed, IMO said.

The slow growth in air cargo markets continued in August, said the International Air Transport Association. August air freight demand was up 3.6% over the previous year, and year-to-date figures show a 0.7% expansion, it said. “There are some signs of improvement in demand, but the air freight business remains very tough. Freight volumes are only now reaching the levels of 2011 when the cargo business peaked with revenues of $67 billion,” said Tony Tyler, IATA director general. IATA said the biggest growth was in international air cargo, at 3.7%, with domestic up only 3% in August. Most of the August growth came from carriers in Europe and the Middle East, while Asia-Pacific volumes were stagnant and African volumes fell significantly, IATA said. North American airlines showed signs of a small pick-up, with growth of 0.7%, it said.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration reviewed the entire list of baseline penalties for illegally transporting hazardous materials, and generally increased them, it said in a Federal Register notice scheduled for Oct. 2 (here). Some of the changes, the first major changes since 2003, are based on inflation, PHMSA said, which it said means a baseline increase in penalties for most of 25 percent. Further information: Meridith Kelsch or Shawn Wolsey, 202-366-4400.

The rest of the regulations required by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century surface transportation reauthorization legislation will take effect Oct. 1, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said in a Federal Register notice scheduled for Oct. 1. Most of the statutory changes had already taken effect Oct. 1, 2012.

Ocean Transportation Intermediary License Applicants (here)

There needs to be a global emissions solution that allows the airfreight market to look forward to a more predictable and sustainable business environment in the future, said international and European freight forwarders' associations FIATA and CLECAT. The groups said they're hopeful ICAO's member countries will agree this week on the details of a global market-based measure during the ICAO General Assembly in Montreal.

Four of the five transportation modes carried more U.S.-NAFTA trade in July 2013 than in July 2012, said the Bureau of Transportation Statistics in a Sept. 27 report. It said the value of overall U.S. trade with its NAFTA partners rose 6.3 percent from year to year. Pipelines showed the most year-to-year growth, 25 percent, while trucks rose 5.3 percent, rail 4.5 percent, and air 6.3 percent. Vessel was the only mode showing a decrease, 0.3 percent, BTS said.

The University of Maryland won a national competition to lead a two-year $11.3 million new National Center for Strategic Transportation Policies, Investments and Decisions, it said. The consortium includes Arizona State University, Louisiana State University, Morgan State University, North Carolina State University, Old Dominion University, and the University of New Orleans. The National Center for Strategic Transportation Policies, Investments and Decisions will do research and provide education and technology transfer, and will directly support the U.S. Department of Transportation's strategic goal of economic competitiveness, safety and environmental sustainability.