The FMC is working hard to keep carriers accountable as investigations into retaliation and discrimination against shippers who reported fee and demurrage charges that were erroneously applied. Hot on the heels of the news that ocean rates are dropping, causing contract rates to become much higher than the spot market, the FMC’s look into carrier actions is likely overdue.
Considering the plan to manage falling rates will be blanked sailings, rolled bookings, and service reductions, those bandaid-on-bullet-wound solutions are geared to lowering the available capacity to drive up rates artificially, just the behavior the FMC should be investigating.
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