The US shipping regulator has accelerated a clampdown on the sector as it seeks to fulfil a pledge from Washington to target “foreign-owned carriers” that clashed with American importers during recent supply chain disruptions.
The Federal Maritime Commission, which is small compared with other US regulatory bodies but is growing, imposed penalties and reached settlements totalling almost $3mn in the 12 months to September, up from barely $100 three years earlier.
The FMC, which investigates excessive charges and contract breaches by shipowners, resolved 36 cases during the year to September, almost triple the number of two years earlier, according to data shared with the Financial Times.
Read the full story on the Financial Times here.