News
China's Ministry of Transport (MOT) has opened a tariff filing center for Non-Vessel Operating Common Carriers (NVOCC) in Shanghai and thus is set to implement officially a NVOCC tariff filing scheme on December 1, 2010.
The MOT announced on September 19 implementing rules under the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on International Maritime Transportation, which will require non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOCCs) to file their freight rates with the Shanghai Shipping Exchange.
The rules took effect on October 1, 2010 with sixty days as the transitional period.
Under the tariff filing regime, NVOCCs who failed to go through filing formalities or apply the freight rates as filed would be required to rectify within a certain time limit and concurrently face a fine of no less than RMB20,000 but no more than RMB100,000.
If the filed freight rates went beyond the normal and reasonable scope, or are lower than the negotiated rates level concluded with liner operators, or seriously deviate from the average level of the filed rates by the operators of the same scale offering the same service that may impair the market fair competition, the MOL will conduct investigation. In case of refusal of investigation or unfaithful providing materials, the NVOCC in question would also be required to rectify and face a fine of no less than RMB20,000 but no more than RMB100,000.
