OTIS ASK FMC FOR LICENSING CLARIFICATION

   The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of American has asked the Federal Maritime Commission to that a single individual can obtain ocean transportation intermediary licenses for affiliated ocean forwarding and non-vessel operating common carrier entities.
   Edward D. Greenberg, the NCBFAA’s transportation counsel, said that the FMC has informed some OTIs that only applicants who are in a parent company-subsidiary relationship would be allowed to have the same qualifying individual as the person holding an OTI license.
   The NCBFAA asked that the FMC to clarify, either through an order or a rulemaking, that affiliated OTIs owned by a single individual or holding company be accorded the same treatment as those OTIs that are structured in a parent company-subsidiary relationship.
   "A number of OTIs, for proper and commercially sound reasons, have long established their forwarding and NVOCC businesses as affiliated entities, rather than as parent-subsidiaries," Greenberg said.