FMC forms ‘Regulatory Reform Task Force’

The U.S. maritime regulator said the group will work to identify burdensome, unnecessary and outdated directives, and recommend how they should be remedied.    The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is creating a “Regulatory Reform Task Force” that will work to identify burdensome, unnecessary and outdated directives, and recommend how they should be remedied.
   FMC Acting Chairman Michael A. Khouri said Karen V. Gregory, the managing director of the commission, will serve as regulatory reform officer.
   “Relief from regulatory requirements that have outlived their usefulness is one of the easiest contributions the Federal Maritime Commission can make to increased efficiencies and creating economic benefits,” Khouri said. Pointing to the FMC’s unanimous vote last week to amend its rules involving service contracts entered into between liner companies and shippers, and similar contracts called NVOCC Service Arrangements (NSAs) between NVOCCs and shippers, Khouri said, “The positive response from what the commission ordered recently in terms of creating more realistic filing requirements for service contract amendments demonstrates the benefits that can be achieved from simply asking ‘is there a better way to do this?’”
   In addition, the FMC said, “The designation of a Regulatory Review Officer and establishing a Regulatory Reform Task Force is consistent with the intent of the Executive Order issued by President Donald J. Trump on Feb. 24, 2017, the deregulatory spirit of the Shipping Act of 1984 as amended by the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998, and agency regulatory review initiatives ongoing since Nov. 4, 2011.”