FMC plans demurrage, detention report field interviews

Commissioner Rebecca Dye will meet with interested parties in California and Florida in October.

   Commissioner Rebecca Dye of the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission, as part of “phase two” of the agency’s ongoing Fact Finding 28 demurrage and detention investigation, will hold field interviews in Southern California and Southern Florida in October.
   Dye will meet with interested parties regarding the recently released fact-finding investigation’s interim report findings at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on Oct. 15 and at Port Everglades and Port of Miami on Oct. 29. 
   Individuals interested in scheduling a time to meet with the commissioner should contact Christine Stavropoulos by telephone at (202) 523-0206 or email at cstavropoulos@fmc.gov.
   Dye, who released the Fact Finding 28 interim report on Sept. 4, laid out the second phase of the investigation during the commission’s public meeting on Sept. 19. The final report for the fact-finding investigation is due Dec. 2.
   The interim report identified six areas for improvement to how demurrage and detention is assessed by ocean carriers and marine terminal operators:
     • Transparent, standardized language for demurrage, detention and free-time practices;
     • Clarity, simplification and accessibility regarding demurrage and detention billing practices and dispute resolution processes;
     • Explicit guidance regarding types of evidence relevant to resolving demurrage and detention disputes;
     • Consistent notice to shippers of container availability;
     • An optional billing model wherein marine terminal operators bill shippers directly for demurrage and ocean carriers bill shippers for detention;
     • And an FMC shipper advisory or innovation team.
    To prepare the Fact Finding 28 investigation’s final report recommendations, Dye said she will spend the next two months meeting with ocean carriers, marine terminals, shippers, ocean transportation intermediaries and drayage service providers. These meetings will be conducted both at her office, as well as outside Washington, D.C. Dye has stated she maintains an “open-door” policy and wants to hear from any party with a view on this topic.
   A date for interviews at the Port of New York and New Jersey will be announced soon, the FMC said.