Chairman Daniel Maffei told members of the Gemini Shippers Association that the Federal Maritime Commission seeks to provide certainty for shippers who are wrestling with supply chain challenges caused by developments in the operational, commercial, and geopolitical spheres.

The past several years delivered repeated significant shocks to the supply chain and networks that move cargo around the world.   Among other challenges over the past 48 months, logisticians and beneficial cargo owners have had to deal with a pandemic and its consequences, wars in Europe and the Middle East, terrorist attacks on shipping by non-state actors, the closing of a key East Coast port, and drought conditions that reduced the capabilities of the Panama Canal. 

Chairman Maffei noted that these disruptions undermine the foundational conditions necessary for the dependable flow of containerized trade. 

While the Federal Maritime Commission cannot address the causes of these disruptions, it does work to create certainty for shippers and supply chain managers to better manage through such events.  Chairman Maffei said that the key contributions the Commission makes to bringing certainty to how ocean cargo moves, even during periods of disruption, is by establishing clear rules of conduct, helping resolve disagreements when possible, and holding parties accountable for improper conduct.

Chairman Maffei’s remarks were followed by a fireside chat with Kenneth O’Brien, Gemini Shippers Association President and Chief Executive Officer.  Topics covered included implementation of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022, the work of the National Shipper Advisory Committee, ongoing negotiations between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, and efforts the Federal Maritime Commission is undertaking to address how ocean carriers and marine terminal operators implement fees and surcharges.

The remarks were delivered at the Gemini Shippers Association Annual Members Meeting held in New York, New York on September 26, 2024.

Chairman Daniel B. Maffei is a Commissioner with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission. The thoughts and comments expressed here are his own and do not necessarily represent the position of the Commission.