John Butler

The World Shipping Council has named Joe Kramek its next president and CEO. He will replace John Butler, who plans to retire in July.

The ocean container industry association files an agreement with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission to ensure its collective activities do not violate the Shipping Act.

The World Shipping Council says exemption for ocean container carriers from publishing essential terms of their service contracts with the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission is a step in the right direction.

“Crew changes cannot be postponed indefinitely,” warned the world’s largest maritime and air transport organizations.

Service contract negotiations between container carriers and shippers are being disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission says.

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission said there has been no shortage of container-shipping industry members willing to participate in its initiative to identify ways to overcome supply chain obstacles caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Vessel-sharing is the backbone of the global liner shipping network,” John Butler, the World Shipping Council’s president and CEO, said.

Oceangoing vessels challenge scale of newly introduced carbon-free power technologies for short-sea shipping and ferries, World Shipping Council CEO John Butler tells U.S. lawmakers.

Shippers and NVOs urge the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission to implement the interpretive rule, while ocean carriers and marine terminals say it needs further refining.

The World Shipping Council considers next steps after the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission on September 26 denied a part of its petition calling for the elimination of service contract filing.

The AgTC asked the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission to extend the comment deadline to Oct. 31, calling the rule “the most relevant and far-reaching initiative taken by the FMC in many years.”

The U.S. container shipping industry is eager to weigh in on recommendations produced and approved by the Federal Maritime Commission that promise to bring clarity and fairness to the assessment of demurrage and detention fees.