FMC GIVES INDUSTRY CHANCE TO CORRECT HIGH TARIFF ACCESS FEES

FMC GIVES INDUSTRY CHANCE TO CORRECT HIGH TARIFF ACCESS FEES    The Federal Maritime Commission has given ocean carriers and non-vessel-operating common carriers a chance to correct what it believes are excessively high fees for accessing tariffs on the Internet.
   The FMC turned down a staff proposal to pursue a plan that would have given the industry guidelines or regulations governing tariff access fees.
   Instead, the FMC will circulate a letter asking the industry to solve the problem voluntarily. The letter is expected to go out in about two weeks.
   The FMC will make it clear that the agency views the high fees as a continuing problem that may hinder the public’s access to tariffs.
      “We don’t want these (high fees) to turn into profit centers,” said Hal Creel, FMC chairman.
   FMC commissioner John Moran said it was “premature” to move forward with a proposed rule, but like other commissioners, said the agency has the choice of revisiting the issue with specific action later.
   The FMC received complaints this summer of carriers and NVOs charging as much as $150 for a set-up fee and a three-month minimum user fee of $449 per month.
   The FMC received public comments following an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking issued in July. In most cases, ocean carriers and NVOs urged the commission to drop the idea of developing access rules and to continue addressing developments on a case-by-case basis.