News

Federal Maritime Commission investigating ways to increase trade

West Coast port congestion continues to make exporting more difficult, but the Federal Maritime Commission is trying to find a solution to the problem.

Exports of agricultural goods continue to be delayed because of a lack of available containers and large vessels remaining at sea on the West Coast.

Federal Maritime Commissioner Carl Bentzel says penalties are being used to motivate shippers to move cargo in and out of ports. “Whether or not it’s being used as a penalty in circumstances where it’s very difficult for our shippers to operate or it’s under the control of carriers in terminals,” he says.

Bentzel says another concern is whether U.S. companies exporting cargo to Asia have been denied service. “That would be a violation of our statutes. We have requirements for common carriage and refusals to deal are unreasonable.”

He says the commission wants to know if there are enough Chinese-made containers and chassis available to move product. “It’s unusual to me that at a point where we’re importing so many cargo containers that it’s seemingly not been the same situation with the manufacturer of the equipment necessary to handle this,” he says.

Bentzel says they’re looking at how that has impacted delivery and service.