Maersk asks FMC for service contract rate exemption following Petya attack

The Danish shipping giant is petitioning the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission to be exempt from high tariffs on rates from service contracts received after the Petya cyber attack in late June.    Maersk Line A/S has filed for an exemption from service contract filing rules due to the Petya cyber-attack in late June, according to the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC).
   The Danish giant filed the petition with FMC on June 30, requesting relief from service contract filing rules for 20 days. Maersk Line states in the petition that the Petya virus severely impaired its information systems such that it “is not able to determine which service contracts and/or service contract rates are scheduled to expire at the end of June or in early July.”
   The request for relief for 20 days would provide Maersk Line “sufficient time to regain access to its service contract database and filing capabilities, to be able to identify expiring contracts/rates, and obtain agreements from shippers with regards to the disposition of their expiring contracts/rates,” they said in the petition. 
   FMC is permitted to exempt companies from the requirements of the Shipping Act of 1974 and FMC regulations if it finds the exemption will not result in a reduction in competition or be detrimental to commerce. FMC believes the relief request would neither reduce competition nor be detrimental to commerce, as stated in the petition.
   As a result, should the petition be granted, Maersk Line would be allowed to apply previously agreed rates to shipments submitted during June 30 and “the date an appropriate contract or contract amendment is filed” without customers paying higher tariff rates, said FMC.
   Pursuant to 46 CFR 502.92, the FMC has requested interested parties to submit view or arguments to the petition no later than July 14, 2017. Comments can be sent to the information provided in the Federal Register item published on American Shipper’s sister publication Adam Smith Project TradeTracker.