FMC: Not so fast NVOs

FMC: Not so fast NVOs    The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission voted last week to initiate a rulemaking that would relieve non-vessel-operating common carriers from the costs and burdens of publishing and adhering to tariffs that contain the rates they charge to ship cargo.
   This change has been long sought, and the FMC said it has “received indications that some NVOCCs may have begun to implement such a change in their business operations.”
   Not so fast, the agency said in a notice published on its Web site Tuesday.
   “Until the exemption is published in the Federal Register in its final form and becomes effective, NVOCCs must continue to comply with the commission’s regulations as currently stated. Changes to the NVOCC tariff publication and adherence requirements will occur only after the commission has published a notice of proposed rulemaking, considered public comments on that proposal, and published a final rule,” the notice said.