On June 14, 2022, Law360 quoted Ashley Craig in “New Ocean Shipping Regs On Deck, But Inland Woes Persist.” According to the article, ocean container carriers will face tougher regulatory scrutiny under new federal legislation aimed at reducing costs for shippers and consumers and easing the supply-chain crunch, but experts say it won't completely tame freight congestion or record high inflation and fuel prices.
The Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022, which cleared Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support Monday and is expected to be signed into law by President Joe Biden, is the first major overhaul of U.S. shipping law in over two decades. It's an attempt to offer relief to U.S. importers, exporters, freight carriers, port operators and other businesses contending with skyrocketing costs to move cargo and keep the economy humming.
"It helps to establish a cleaner way to bring allegations of misconduct to the FMC — [potentially having] a quicker resolution so you don't have to go through a docketed proceeding — and it also would empower the FMC to investigate these allegations at a more rapid pace," Ashley Craig, a co-chair of Venable LLP's International Trade Group, told Law360.
"It's designed to not level the playing field necessarily, but to provide the customer, the shipper, with the ability to go to the FMC in an informal way and raise concerns or complaints," he added.
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