Basics of US (FMC) Regulation of Ocean Cargo Transportation

Course Overview

This course provides a detailed overview of Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) regulations governing ocean carriers (VOCCs) and non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOCCs). Topics include tariff requirements, enforcement mechanisms, and compliance obligations for shipping through U.S. ports. Participants will examine the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA 22) and its impact on detention, demurrage, and carrier accountability. The course also covers FMC licensing, financial responsibility, record-keeping requirements, and the role of the Qualifying Individual in compliance.

• Understanding basic FMC oversight methods
• FMC ocean carrier (VOCC) and NVOCC tariff requirements
• FMC requirements for NVOCCs to ship cargo through U.S. ports
• FMC enforcement of tariffs, agreements and shipping law
• The impetus for enactment of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022
• Key ways in which “OSRA 22” increased FMC regulation over shipping lines and ocean cargo terminals
• Requirements for invoicing detention and demurrage by ocean carriers and marine terminal
• OSRA 22 provisions for preventing and mitigating unfair detention and demurrage charges
• The scope of government regulation that ocean forwarders must comply with
• Ways in which the governmental agencies enforce their regulations
• Adverse consequences that a forwarder found in violation of regulations may face, including FMC fines and sanctions
• Boundaries between acceptable and unacceptable business practices
• How to access applicable FMC regulations
• Scope of FMC regulated forwarder services
• Forwarder services outside the scope of FMC regulation
• Whom the FMC term Ocean Transportation intermediary applies to
• Forwarder services outside the scope FMC regulated OTI services
• Responsibilities of the “Qualifying Individual” for OTI License applications and compliance with FMC Regulations upon license issuance
• How an OTI typically fulfills the FMC “financial responsibility” requirement
• FMC-specified general OTI responsibilities
• OTI record keeping requirements