Federal Maritime Commission, Regulating Ocean Shipping and Shipper Protection

The FMC, created in 1961, regulates liner shipping services and protects U.S. shippers from unfair carrier practices through oversight of vessel-sharing agreements (VSAs), rate discussion agreements (RDAs), terminal operators, and freight consolidators. Recent COVID-19-driven trade surges have intensified disputes over container availability, demurrage fees, and carrier market concentration, prompting calls for...