New TGA-Supported Shipping Reform Legislation Coming Soon
On August 1, Congressmen John Garamendi (D-CA-3) and Dusty Johnson (R-SD) will introduce the bi-partisan Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021 (OSRA 21) (Draft text, Draft summary). The TGA-supported legislation, which TGA helped craft, would require the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to establish and enforce rules on minimum service requirements, breach of contract, excessive and unjust detention and demurrage fees, and loading export containers. With the current shipping crisis, the legislation is likely to have strong momentum and could even pass this fall but will more likely move sometime next year. As such, the legislation will not likely fix the current shipping crisis but will lay the groundwork to prevent the next shipping crisis. TGA continues to call on President Biden to take action now on the shipping crisis and provide tariff relief to help companies navigate the crisis. Stay tuned for a TGA-support letter and requests for brand support for the legislation.