Lawmakers say more shipping reform is on the way. They say the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, passed earlier this summer, is just the beginning. California Representative John Garamendi explains two more proposals are coming down the pike.
“We have two other bills, one of which deals with the antitrust exemption that the ocean shipping carriers presently have. This exemption goes back almost 25 years. Five major carriers serve the Pacific, and nine carriers serve both the Atlantic and the Pacific. And they can conspire to set rates, to set fees, availability of cargo, and the like. And so, the antitrust bill, which is principally offered by Jimmy Costa from California and me, will deal with that by removing that exemption and eliminating the ability of these carriers to conspire to regulate or withhold the shipping opportunities and the rates that are being charged,” says Garmendi.
The need for more shipping reform legislation is evident. There are still long lines at ports with no clear system for which should be prioritized, and too many ships from Asia are still carrying empty containers.
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