Webinar on Export Filing Compliance to Be Held Oct. 5 & 6

Two half-day export compliance webinars will be held October 5 and 6, 2022, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m., which will bring together experts from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Industry and Security, and the U.S. Customs & Border Protection to provide training on export filing requirements.  

The webinars will cover these topics:

* Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) / Automated Export System (AES) Direct Filings

* Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR)

* Commodity Classification (i.e. Schedule B) guidance and tips, and the Global Market Finder

* U.S. Export Controls and other topics of vital importance and keen interest to exporters and logistics providers!

Those involved in the export process are highly encouraged to attend: U.S. Principal Parties in Interest (USPPI), including Manufacturers and Suppliers, Export Compliance Managers, Freight Forwarders, Exporting Carriers, Consolidators, U.S. Customs Brokers, and Compliance Software Providers.

Cost per person for both days is $95. Group discounts are available. REGISTER HERE.

Linda Crovella Named Administrative Law Judge

FMC Press Release Posted September 26, 2022 -- Chairman Daniel B. Maffei announced this week the hiring of Linda S. Harris Crovella to serve as an Administrative Law Judge of the Federal Maritime Commission.

Judge Crovella joins the Commission after serving as an Administrative Law Judge with the Social Security Administration in Richmond, VA and Buffalo, NY for the past six years. Prior to joining the Social Security Administration, she worked at the National Labor Relations Board as a Field Attorney, investigating and litigating unfair labor practice charges, working in the Buffalo, Boston, and Brooklyn Regional offices before transferring to the Washington, D.C. Resident Office as a Supervisory Attorney.

“The caseload of our Office of the Administrative Law Judge has sharply increased over the past two years resulting from more parties seeking relief to shipping disputes by using the formal complaints process. Expanding the capabilities and resources of this critical function supports my priority that the Commission emphasize its enforcement work. Judge Crovella possess excellent experience and credentials and I am confident she will be a valuable addition to the agency. I am pleased to welcome her to the Commission,” said Chairman Maffei.

Judge Crovella received her J.D. from State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law in 1987 and her B.S. from Cornell University in 1982. She is a member of the New York State Bar. She will serve with Chief Administrative Law Judge Erin M. Wirth.

Notice of Proposed Demurrage & Detention Rule May Be Issued in Oct.

FMC Press Release Posted September 22, 2022 -- The Federal Maritime Commission was briefed at its September meeting, held Wednesday, on progress implementing the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA) and the findings of the Maritime Transportation Data Initiative (MTDI).

Commissioner Carl W. Bentzel discussed his work leading the MTDI and shared what this project identified as key data gaps in moving an ocean container from mode-to-mode. The MTDI lasted from December 2021-June 2022, during which time 18 public meetings were held exploring data challenges across the entire maritime supply chain.

Commission staff reported on progress in implementing OSRA and discussed the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on demurrage and detention billing requirements that is anticipated to be issued in October. OSRA requires the Commission to issue a rulemaking revising the minimum information that common carriers must include on demurrage or detention invoices as well as further define prohibited practices by common carriers, marine terminal operators, shippers, and ocean transportation intermediaries under 46 U.S.C. 41102(c) regarding the assessment of demurrage or detention charges.

In related news, the Commission will begin using Regulations.Gov for all its rulemaking activity in the near future. This move to the Regulations.Gov platform will make filing comments, and finding information about, Commission rulemakings easier and more streamlined for the public. The Commission will issue instructions on how to use Regulations.Gov as well as guidance on when the public should use or check the agency’s existing Dockets webpage to track the Commission’s rulemaking activities.

In the closed session of the meeting, Commissioners had further discussions on the NPRM on demurrage and detention billing requirements, and also discussed work being done to establish a permanent process for handling Charge Complaints. The Commission has been handling Charge Complaints using interim procedures since July 2022. Discussion about these items was held in private to allow the Commission to deliberate on policy considerations, proposed text, and other internal matters.

Staff reported that substantial progress has been made in implementing many of the requirements established by OSRA. Since the law’s enactment on June 16, 2022, the Commission has issued the NPRM on unreasonable refusal to deal in regard to vessel space and will soon publish the NPRM on demurrage and detention billing practices. Additionally, two requests for public comment were issued, seeking feedback on the benefits of issuing an emergency order on information sharing, and secondly, the Commission’s proposed plan for establishing a data collection initiative related to an ocean carrier’s import and export performance in the U.S. trades.

The Commission has established a dedicated landing page on its website where interested members of the public can track the status of OSRA implementation.