News
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has given guidance for parties wishing to dispute charges assessed by common carriers that they believe may not comply with the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA 2022), which became Public Law 117-146 on June 16.
Parties interested in filing charge complaints at the FMC may do so by following the below steps: 1) identifying the common carrier, 2) gathering documentation including bill of lading (B/L) numbers and evidence of whether the charge(s) have been paid and 3) confirming that the disputed charge was incurred on or after the enactment of the public law. When the FMC receives sufficient information, it will promptly initiate an investigation, which could ultimately result in a civil penalty and order for a refund of charges paid.
