R.G. Edmonson | Apr 14, 2011 5:10PM EDT
Freight forwarders outside the U.S. this week expressed "deep disappointment" over the recent easing of Federal Maritime Commission rules.
The FMC exempted U.S. non-vessel operating common carriers from the legal obligation of maintaining tariffs but stopped short of extending that freedom to foreign NVOs.
"We have long protested the discrimination against NVOCCs in the USA, especially with respect to tariff publication and bond posting requirements. We also continue to be concerned over the issue of data confidentiality in dealings with the USA", said Jean-Claude Delen, president of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations.
The rule only applies to NVOs that are licensed and bonded by the FMC, roughly half of the carriers that operate in the U.S. When they adopted the rule in February, commissioners but voted to study for a year the market implications of exempting foreign companies.
Christopher J. Gillespie, chairman of FIATA's educational affiliate, said not exempting foreign NVOs puts them at a competitive disadvantage.
"Foreign NVOCCs are also disadvantaged by more stringent bond posting requirements than U.S. license holders," Gillespie said.
-- Contact R.G. Edmonson at bedmonson@joc.com.