HOURS OF SERVICE EXEMPTION EXTENDED FOR CARRIERS, TRUCKERS On August 31, 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) extended its Emergency Declaration exempting motor carriers and drivers that provide direct support to the national COVID-19 emergency from maximum driving time requirements. Enacted in March 2020 due to the [...]
THREE RAIL WORKER UNIONS REACH TENTATIVE AGREEMENTS Three of the twelve rail worker labor unions currently negotiating with various Class 1 and Shortline Railroads reached tentative agreements that, if ratified by members, will increase worker pay, improve benefits, and receive more paid time off. Leaders at these three unions [...]
3 REASONS U.S. CHASSIS MANUFACTURING ISN'T MEETING DEMAND As chassis shortages continue to create inland ramp delays resulting in bottlenecks for North American supply chains, chassis manufacturers are racing to meet growing U.S. demand. Access to new equipment has been limited after the United States began levying anti-dumping penalties on [...]
EMPTY CONTAINER CONGESTION PROBLEM GROWS AT U.S. PORTS AS THE INDUSTRY SEEKS HELP FROM FMC U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Chairman Maffei and Managing Director Lucille Marvin visited Newark to meet with representatives from the trucking community and marine terminal operators on August 3rd to address concerns about congestion [...]
The Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 became Public Law 117-146 on June 16, 2022. On Thursday, July 14, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) published interim procedures for parties that need to dispute charges assessed by common carriers that may not comply with the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of [...]
While U.S. shippers have been anxiously focused on labor negotiations between West Coast terminal owners and port workers, even more precarious labor disruptions may threaten the flow of cargo even sooner. NATIONWIDE U.S. RAIL LABOR ACTION SUMMARY U.S. rail workers nationwide voted to support strike action since failing to negotiate [...]
WEST COAST LABOR CONTRACT EXPIRES: 5:00 PM JULY 1, 2022 The existing contract between West Coast port labor, represented by the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) and terminal owners, led by the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), expires at 5:00 PM on July 1, 2022, leaving over 22,000 workers across [...]
On June 27, 2022, U.S. President Biden met with G7 leaders in Germany to reaffirm America’s support for Ukraine and impose additional economic penalties on Russia. Primarily, the United States will implement a higher 35 percent tariff rate on more than 570 groups of Russian products worth approximately $2.3 billion [...]
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) was enacted on December 23, 2021, to strengthen the existing prohibition against the importation of goods made wholly or in part with forced labor into the United States and to end the systematic use of forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous [...]
UPDATE 6/17/2022: OCEAN SHIPPING REFORM ACT OF 2022 SIGNED INTO LAW ON JUNE 16 United States President Joe Biden signed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA-22) into law on June 16, 2022. SUMMARY OF S.3580 OCEAN SHIPPING REFORM ACT OF 2022 This bill revises requirements governing ocean [...]
