FMC listens to carrier executives during second briefing

FMC listens to carrier executives during second briefing    The chairman, commissioners and staff from all Federal Maritime Commission offices and bureaus were briefed on several issues faced by ocean carriers during a second series of briefings with industry representatives Jan. 27.
   The meetings were held to develop a greater awareness and understanding of issues and concerns affecting the U.S. international liner shipping industry, the FMC said.
   Executives of several vessel-operating common carriers who participated in a panel discussion included: Ron Widdows, chief executive officer of APL; George J. Hayashi, chairman and CEO of MOL (America) Inc.; Yoram Sebba, CEO of Zim Integrated Shipping Services; Thomas B. Crowley Jr., chairman, president, and CEO of Crowley Maritime Corp.; Chris Koch, president and CEO of the World Shipping Council; and Stanley Sher, of the law firm Sher & Blackwell.
   The shipping line executives spoke about transportation infrastructure issues, U.S. cargo security, and emerging industry trends.
   Commissioners, FMC staff and panel participants also discussed the industry’s relationship with government agencies, and the ways in which FMC oversight has changed since the passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998.
   “The panel discussed the direction the shipping industry might take in the future, including the expansion of cargo capacity and the current limitations of the freight transportation infrastructure,” the FMC said.
   The briefings form part of efforts made by FMC chairman Steven Blust, a former carrier and port executive, to broaden the commission’s understanding of the shipping industry.
   The FMC’s first panel discussion, with members of the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America Inc. was held last September.