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10/8/2024
The Alliance for Chemical Distribution (ACD) is asking the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to highlight the surcharges ocean carriers proposed to levy on shippers leading up to and during the recently resolved International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strike at East and Gulf coast ports.
In a letter to commission leadership, ACD President and CEO Eric Byer called on the FMC to investigate the reasonableness of the proposed charges and to confirm whether they are being rescinded now that the strike has ended.
“ACD members have received several surcharges related to the labor disruptions that are set to go into effect in the coming weeks, even after the strike has ended," Byer wrote. "This is unreasonable, and the FMC must step in and ensure ocean carriers are held accountable when levying these unwarranted charges that will increase carrier revenue and profits at the expense of shippers.”
Byers also urged the FMC to use its authority under the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 to ensure similar surcharges do not occur in the future, especially since the labor agreement is only extended until Jan. 15, 2025.
Prior to the end of the strike, the ACD reported to the FMC that the surcharges cost as much as $3,000 per container, citing labor disruptions or related impacts as the cause.
The ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMS) last week reached a tentative agreement on wages and agreed to extend the master contract until Jan. 15, 2025, to return to the bargaining table to negotiate all other outstanding issues.