U.S. TO PUSH FOR PORT REFORMS IN TOKYO TALKS
Maritime Administrator Clyde Hart will lead a U.S. delegation later this
month to Tokyo to press for the implementation of a number of port reforms promised by the
Japanese government almost two years ago.
The U.S. government has voiced concerned for more than a year about the lack
of progress made by the Japanese in reforming port practices that allegedly discriminate
against U.S.-flag carriers and non-Japanese lines.
Japan’s complicated and time-consuming prior consultation system
requires ocean carriers to obtain government approval for both minor and major service
adjustments.
The U.S. also sought to open stevedoring operations to non-Japanese
interests, although U.S. flag carriers have yet to apply for stevedoring
licenses.
Besides these issues, a new concern has cropped up. The Japanese have
proposed to raise the minimum employment level for stevedoring firms in Japan by 50
percent. "We just do not see any logic in this" (proposal), a U.S. government
official said.
MarAd recently released documents that have been held confidentially
since the Japanese agreed to carry out port reforms in November 1997. the release was an
apparent move to underscore the need for Japan to move quickly.
The documents show that the U.S. set a Dec. 31, 1998 deadline for the
Japanese to deregulate port transportation services.