CBP should extend the maximum in-transit time for merchandise from 30 to 60 days, the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee said in a recommendation adopted at its March 29 quarterly meeting. The extension would "harmonize that threshold across all modes" and help better accommodate movements requiring extra transit time, which would lessen the need to request extensions, the COAC said.
The Biden administration should "quickly" help the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association reach a new labor agreement to "ensure there is no disruption" to the operations of U.S. ports on the West Coast, more than 200 trade groups wrote in a March 24 letter to the White House. Because Marty Walsh left as secretary of the Department of Labor in February, it's crucial that a "new administration point person" be designated to help negotiations continue, the groups said.
The Federal Maritime Commission on March 24 approved a confidential settlement agreement to resolve a detention and demurrage dispute between Philip Reinisch Co. and Flexport International. The "proceeding would require potentially expensive discovery and briefing," the FMC said, and both parties "determined that the settlement reasonably resolves the issues raised in the complaint without the need for costly and uncertain litigation."
The two lawmakers who spearheaded last year's House ocean shipping reform bill plan to introduce new legislation next week that could further expand the Federal Maritime Commission’s authority. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., said he and Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., plan to introduce the “Ocean Shipping Reform Act 2.0,” which could “undo some of the damage the Senate did” to revise OSRA before it passed both chambers in June.
The New York State Legislature passed an amendment March 20 to a bill passed last year that banned perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in apparel. The bill expands the ban to outdoor apparel and outerwear, which had previously been exempt, according to a post on the Kelley Green Law blog.
The Federal Maritime Commission is "actively seeking information" to confirm whether ocean carriers and marine terminal operators are complying with a recent ruling about per diem detention charges, the FMC said March 23.
The Independent Mexico Labor Expert Board said it is not prepared to say that Mexico is not in compliance with the labor obligations under USMCA, given the steps the government is taking to reform the labor laws. But, with barely more than a year before the deadline to give all workers the chance to vote for independent unions, "we are increasingly concerned that the transition period for full implementation of Mexico’s labor reform will end next May with large segments of the old protection contract system still intact, including in critical manufacturing sectors and their suppliers."
Companies attempting to comply with U.S. laws against importing goods made with forced labor need to choose their words carefully when communicating with Chinese suppliers, said a trade lawyer on a recent webinar. A Chinese law enacted in recent years means using the words Uyghur or Xinjiang, among others, could expose the importer or their Chinese suppliers to legal liability.
The Federal Maritime Commission is updating its current user fees. The changes are meant to reflect changes in salaries for employees of fee-generating services. Some fees will increase due to the increase in salaries for employees of those agencies, while for one service the rule lowers fees as "less-senior employees" are assigned to the "fee-generating activity," according to the memo. Comments on the new rule are due April 20. The rule will take effect June 5 if no comments are received.
The Federal Maritime Commission is preparing for increased enforcement this year as it expects to receive more complaints and hire more investigators as part of a $43.7 million congressional funding request -- an uptick from the nearly $35 million it asked for last year.