COMMITTEE CLEARS WON’s NOMINATION FOR SECOND FMC TERM

COMMITTEE CLEARS WONÆS NOMINATION FOR SECOND FMC TERM    The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee has cleared the nomination of Del Won for another term on the Federal Maritime Commission.
   'Won is known for his investigation which uncovered a number of ocean carrier practices in the transpacific trade, his free-market approach to ocean shipping, and his stand against antitrust immunity for ocean carriers as it applies to rate-setting under conferences and voluntary rate and service guidelines under discussion agreements.
   The Senate is expected to clear the nomination soon.
   “Antitrust immunity is an issue where reasonable people may disagree,” he said at his nomination hearing.
   He said he approves of antitrust immunity as it applies to cost savings and efficiency-enhancing agreements, but is concerned that ocean carriers could use their antitrust exemption “as leverage against the shipping public.”
   Won predicted that it will take three to five years for the full benefits of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act to become known. But indications are that the market under OSRA “is moving in a free-market direction.”
   Won was nominated by President Clinton for a new two-year term on April 12, 1999. He was sworn in as an FMC commissioner in August 1994.