USDA Grain Transportation Report (6/9): FMC Study Examines Effects of COVID-19 on Ocean Transport

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) recently released its final report on The Effects of COVID-19 on the U.S. International Ocean Transportation Supply Chain, a two-year investigation involving hundreds of FMC stakeholders.

Both importers and exporters emphasized two primary pandemic-related concerns: the high cost of shipping cargo and excessive demurrage and detention charges.

Among other points, the investigation’s final recommendations to address stakeholder concerns include the following:

New rulemakings to clarify carrier practices;

• An investigation of the various charges shippers are assessed;

• Required employment of an FMC officer for ocean common carriers, seaports, and marine terminals; and

• Enhanced cooperation between FMC and USDA (“the agency most experienced in agricultural export promotion”) regarding container availability and other issues.

The final report can be accessed here.

This article comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) June 9, 2022, Grain Transportation Report.