Global liner alliances and their members are now required to provide more information to the top US shipping regulator.
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) announced on Thursday that it has decided to require the three global shipping alliances — THE Alliance, Ocean Alliance and 2M — and their eight individual members to provide the group with enhanced pricing and capacity information.
“The newly mandated information will provide the commission’s Bureau of Trade Analysis (BTA) with insight into pricing of individual trade lanes and by container and service type,” the FMC said in a statement.
“It will also provide more immediate information regarding capacity management decisions of ocean carriers and alliances.”
The commission already collects operational data and minutes from meetings and holds regularly scheduled meetings with parties to address issues of concern.
Now, alliances will have to submit pricing information about cargoes they move on major trade lanes and “comprehensive” information related to capacity management.
The FMC said the information will help the BTA analyse carrier behaviour and marketplace trends.
Since last summer, when President Joe Biden signed an executive order on competitiveness in the US economy, the FMC has been more active in its regulation of international container shipping.
The commission has pushed forward with an audit of liner operators' practices, expanding to evaluate how well they serve US shippers.
Another effort looked into a handful of foreign carriers that only began serving the US market during the Covid-19 pandemic, when rates skyrocketed.
The FMC levied a fine of $822,000 against Hapag-Lloyd for over detention and demurrage fees, and it has also opened investigations into the practices of Ocean Network Express and Wan Hai Lines.
