Flexport violated U.S. shipping laws when the logistics company failed to perform its "inland transportation obligations" and charged unfair detention and demurrage fees, Peloton said in a complaint filed with the Federal Maritime Commission May 3. Peloton said it paid "thousands" of improper detention and demurrage charges totaling "millions of dollars."

The Federal Maritime Commission has jurisdiction on cargo moved inland only under a through bill of lading, and contracts between a vessel-operating common carrier and a motor carrier not based on the through bill of lading would "likely be" outside the scope of commission's new detention and demurrage rule released in February (see 2402230049), the commission said. The FMC, in a correction to that rule set to be published in the May 9 Federal Register, stressed that a vessel-operating common carrier must comply with the new detention and demurrage requirements when issuing an invoice if FMC's jurisdiction applies.

Maersk has increased its Peak Season Surcharge as the company continues to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope for the "foreseeable future" because of Yemen-based Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea (see 2401290052), the ocean carrier said May 6. The higher charges are being put in place to offset the cost of the longer journeys, increased sailing speeds and additional fuel costs.

The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America asked the Federal Maritime Commission questions on the demurrage and detention final rule (see 2402230049). The NCBFAA, in comments dated April 22, said the questions were submitted on behalf of its members and other "industry stakeholders" and raised several questions that were not addressed in the final rule.

President Joe Biden should support workers in the Baltimore region that were affected by the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge (see 2403260047) the same way maritime workers were supported during the COVID-19 pandemic, Federal Maritime Commissioner Carl Bentzel wrote in a letter to the White House dated April 23. Bentzel said the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, could act as an example. The White House didn't respond to our request for comment.

Federal Maritime Commissioner Louis Sola met with the ambassador of the Bahamas to the U.S. to discuss "critical maritime issues," the FMC said in an April 23 statement. The meeting was held in Washington earlier in April. They discussed maritime sustainability, port infrastructure enhancements, and "other opportunities for cooperation" between the two nations' maritime sectors, "such as regulatory measures and economic incentives that strengthen the maritime industry," the commission said.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration will hold three hearings in the coming months ahead of upcoming meetings of international bodies to discuss dangerous goods requirements, it said in a notice April 24.

The Federal Maritime Commission should develop a strategy to modernize how it collects data, so the agency can better monitor shippers' challenges and trends in the maritime shipping industry, the Government Accountability Office said in one of four recommendations to the FMC in an April 23 report examining whether carriers took advantage of shippers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Zim Integrated Shipping Services charged unfair detention and unfair chassis, storage, stop-off and redelivery fees for containers that couldn't be returned due to lack of appointments or terminal closures out of its control, Access One Transport said in a complaint filed with the Federal Maritime Commission on April 16.

The Federal Maritime Commission is seeking comments by June 17 on what data elements are communicated between transportation service providers and importers and exporters about "containers moving through marine terminals." It also seeks information on how changes are conveyed and where communication is most likely to break down "or information is most likely to be conveyed inaccurately," the commission said. The effort, the commission said in a request for information released April 15, is an expansion of the commission's May 2023 Marine Transportation Data Initiative and its associated August 2023 request for information regarding data availability, accuracy, and exchange, the FMC said.