FMC TO INVESTIGATE GOLDEN BRIDGEÆS NVO ACTIVITIES
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission has ordered an investigation and hearing into the non-vessel-operating common carrier activities of California-based Golden Bridge International for possible violations of the 1984 Shipping Act.
The FMC said it appears that Golden Bridge, licensed by the agency on May 30, 2000, may have obtained wrongful transportation by misdescribing cargoes during a period lasting to August 2002.
“Contemporaneous documentation such as the NVOCC house bill of lading and freight invoice reflect that shipments declared to COSCO as ‘housewares’ or ‘household goods’ actually were loaded garments … as well as textiles … and miscellaneous other commodities,” the agency said.
Golden Bridge also appeared to act as a common carrier in relation to its NVO customers.
“The commodity rate assessed by Golden Bridge to the cargo owner or shipper thus appears to differ substantially from the Cargo NOS (not otherwise specified) rates published in its NVOCC tariff,” the FMC said. “Golden Bridge nonetheless charged and collected payment on the basis of the inaccurate or unpublished rates shown on Golden Bridge’s invoice issued at destination.”
In addition, the FMC alleged that a large number of import shipments handled by the NVO were transported prior to June 2000, at a time when the NVO did not yet have an effective ocean transportation intermediary license or tariff for its services.
The FMC said the initial decision of the administrative law judge for this investigation will be issued by Nov. 6, 2003, and the final decision of the commission will be issued by March 1, 2004.