GCCA Participates in White House Session on Ocean Shipping Reform Act Implementation

On September 1^st, GCCA participated in a White House listening session regarding implementation of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA).  The legislation was signed into law in June 2022 and implementation is being led by the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC).  Representatives from the White House and USDA convened the session to help facilitate industry input on issues related to OSRA.  GCCA and other industry stakeholders participated in the session.  One of the main topics discussed was policy around detention and demurrage.  It was stressed the importance of reforming how detention and demurrage are being administered and that charges should not be accrued when containers are not available or there are factors outside the control of those handling the containers, such as when terminals are closed.  There was also discussion about Earliest Return Dates (ERDs) and how some East Coast ports such as Savannah are improving the situation by implementing locked-in receiving dates.  It was suggested that this approach could be helpful with other ports.  GCCA will continue to engage with the Administration as OSRA implementation moves forward.