OTIs ASK FMC FOR LICENSING CLARIFICATION
The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of American has
asked the Federal Maritime Commission to that a single individual can obtain ocean
transportation intermediary licenses for affiliated ocean forwarding and non-vessel
operating common carrier entities.
Edward D. Greenberg, the NCBFAA’s transportation counsel, said that the FMC
has informed some OTIs that only applicants who are in a parent company-subsidiary
relationship would be allowed to have the same qualifying individual as the person holding
an OTI license.
The NCBFAA asked that the FMC to clarify, either through an order or a
rulemaking, that affiliated OTIs owned by a single individual or holding company be
accorded the same treatment as those OTIs that are structured in a parent
company-subsidiary relationship.
"A number of OTIs, for proper and commercially sound reasons, have long
established their forwarding and NVOCC businesses as affiliated entities, rather than as
parent-subsidiaries," Greenberg said.