The Auto Care Association says it applauds the enactment of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA), which was recently passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden.
The Auto Care Association says its members have been burdened with onerous shipping delays and costs due in large part to the actions of ocean shipping companies. The OSRA will help address these issues by requiring the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to establish new ocean common carrier service standards; prohibit unreasonable denials of exports that can be loaded timely and safely; and most importantly expand the FMC’s authority over demurrage and detention claims, shifting the burden of proof for such claims to ocean carriers to first prove the charges are not unreasonable, the association says.
The Auto Care Association says it worked with a broad coalition of industry groups to obtain passage of the legislation and thanks to all of the trade groups and corporations that helped to bring about this important new law. The association now calls on the FMC to develop effective regulations to implement OSRA and to ensure that the protections it provides shippers become a reality.
