行业协会呼吁国会将海运改革法案带入会议

4月20日，由代表美国进口商，出口商，货运运输提供商和其他行业利益相关者的许多公司和贸易协会的众议院四重奏和国会参议院议员写的一封信。18新利体育客服the differences in the House and Senate versions of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA), with OSRA passing in both chambers recently, and the letter’s authors saying that they believe the differences between the two versions can be easily resolved through a conference negotiation.

写这封信的国会的成员to were: Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chairman, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Chairman, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure; and Sam Graves (R-MO). Among the concerns sending the letter were: the Agriculture Transportation Coalition; American Association of Exporters and Importers; the National Industrial Transportation League; the American Chemistry Council; and the National Retail Federation, among others.

The letter’s authors made it clear that while the two current versions of the bill, as passed, are very complimentary, there are provisions, which they said “need to be discussed and reconciled as part of a conference negotiation, including:

• a requirement for ocean carriers to adhere to minimum service standards that meet the “public interest”;
• a certification requirement for a demurrage and detention charge;
• an explicit prohibition of carriers from declining export booking;
• 一项规定1）禁止承运人无法提供服务或2）导致承包商无法提供执行运输服务所需的设施和工具；18新利体育客服和
• 一项规定，允许第三方干预对海洋载体的FMC行动，指控有反竞争行为

这封信的作者补充说，迅速达成最终的OSRA法案，然后是迅速的最终国会通过，拜登总统的签名将有助于确保美国的竞争力和持续的经济复苏。

As previously reported byLM，，，，United States Senate in late March unanimously voted to sign off on the bill on a voice vote.

The bill will head back to the House of Representatives, with the expectation it will head to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law, following conferencing between the House and Senate on differences that need to be hammered out between the chambers.

这是OSRA进展的最新迹象，于3月22日获得美国参议院商务，科学和运输委员会的两党批准，而OSRA于2021年12月通过美国众议院通过令人信服的364-40通过18新利体育客服参议员艾米·克洛乔巴（Amy Klochubar）（D-Minn。）和参议员约翰·图恩（John Thune）（R-S.D。）于2月对参议院进行投票及其随后的投票。

Key components of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021 include:

• 要求海洋航空公司证明，与联邦法规或面临罚款有关的延迟费用（海上列为“拘留和遣散”指控）；
• shifting burden of proof regarding the reasonableness of “detention or demurrage” charges from the invoiced party to the ocean carrier;
• prohibiting ocean carriers from unreasonably declining shipping opportunities for U.S. exports, as determined by the FMC in new required rulemaking;
• 要求海洋普通承运人在每个日历季度向FMC报告总进口/出口吨位和在美国港口的20英尺同等单位（已加载/空）；
• authorizing the FMC to self-initiate investigations of ocean common carrier’s business practices and apply enforcement measures, as appropriate; and
• establishing new authority for the FMC to register shipping exchanges

“Congestion at ports and increased shipping costs pose unique challenges for U.S. exporters, who have seen the price of shipping containers increase four-fold in just two years, raising costs for consumers and hurting our businesses. Meanwhile, ocean carriers that are mostly foreign-owned have reported record profits. This legislation will help American exporters get their goods to market in a timely manner for a fair price,” said Klobuchar in a statement. “By passing this bill, we are one step closer to leveling the playing field for American manufacturers and consumers.”

国家零售联合会（NRF）供应链和海关政策副总裁乔纳森·戈德（Jonathan Gold）告诉LMNRF强烈支持这项立法。

“We are working very closely with the bill’s sponsors to get it done,” he said. “It addresses many of the key issues our members have been dealing with like unfair charges related to detention and demurrage…as well as challenges that were intact prior to the pandemic that further exacerbated and highlighted the need for changes.”

世界航运委员会（WSC）最近削减了OSRA，称该法案没有解决所谓的美国土地拥堵的根本原因。

它说：“美国人继续以创纪录的水平进口商品，以至于美国港口和陆续物流劳动力无法处理所有货物。”“海洋航空公司已经部署了每艘船和每个容器，并且在历史上的任何时刻都移动货物，但是美国的地边logjams将船只塞在美国港口外。这种进口交通拥堵还消耗了确保美国出口流量流动所需的能力和空间。While the Senate is taking a more deliberative approach that the House’s flawed process in passing the Ocean Reform Act of 2021, H.R.4996, neither chamber’s version of the bill does anything to fix the landside logistics breakdowns that are at the heart of America’s supply chain problems.”

WSC added that the House bill would make existing congestion worse, whereas the Senate bill— despite carrying some of the same risks of unintended negative consequences—provides regulators enough authority to get the final rules right.

和北极星发现shippin报道g lines have railed against the OSRA, claiming the legislation will “up-end” the global system for shipping cargo and see a worsening of the services offered to US importers and exporters.

“It is disappointing that unfounded allegations are being levied against an industry moving more cargo now than at any time in history in order to meet the unprecedented demand for imported goods during the pandemic,” said WSC President and CEO John Butler in the report.