Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA 22) revises requirements governing ocean shipping to increase the authority of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to promote the growth and development of U.S. exports through an ocean transportation system that is competitive, efficient, and economical. This bill requires the FMC to
- Investigate complaints about detention and demurrage charges (late fees) charged by common ocean carriers
- Determine whether those charges are reasonable
- Order refunds for unreasonable charges.
This is the first significant change to OSRA in 20 years. The legislation is still pending the president’s signature. Additional information can be found here.