Over the past year, American producers, exporters, and entire economic sectors have grappled with widespread delays, bottlenecks and increasing fees at U.S. ports. These challenges are exacerbated by reports that vessel-operating common carriers are declining to ship U.S. agricultural commodity exports from U.S. ports.
In mid-March, a bipartisan group of House members sent a letter to Michael A. Khouri, chair at the time of the Federal Maritime Commission, voicing concerns over the slowdowns. House Agriculture Committee members – Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Ohio, Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., and Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Calif. - met April 6 with the new FMC Chairman Dan Maffei and Commissioner Rebecca Dye to discuss the current situation.
Ag legislators discuss ongoing port congestion issues
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President Biden Taps Maffei As Next FMC Chairman
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Lawmakers Say Ocean Carriers Are Undermining US Export Trade, Cry Foul on China
More than 100 members of Congress are calling on federal maritime authorities to probe what they say are ocean carrier actions that undermine American exports by refusing to pick up U.S. goods and, instead, are returning empty after dropping off imports.
In a letter (pdf) to Michael A. Khouri, chair of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), the lawmakers voiced concern over reports that certain vessel-operating common carriers (VOCCs) are declining to ship U.S. agricultural commodity exports from ports in the United States.
Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), the Republican lawmaker spearheading the bipartisan effort, blames China.