Federal Maritime Commission: Shipper Advisory Committee

The U.S. Federal maritime Commission has voted to create a National Shipper Advisory Committee to advise the FMC “on policies relating to the competitiveness, reliability, integrity, and fairness of the international ocean freight delivery system.”

The National Shipper Advisory Committee will consist of 24 members, evenly divided between exporters and importers. The Committee was created as part of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (H.R. 6395).

Shippers interested in providing their expertise to the FMC will soon be able to apply to serve on Committee. A notice will be published in the Federal Register soliciting nominations and outlining qualifications of applicants, obligations of Committee members, and steps for how to apply for membership. The solicitation should be published soon in the Federal Register and on the Commission’s website.

FMC Commissioner Rebecca F. Dye applauded the creation of Committee and expressed gratitude for the support it’s had in Congress.

“I have long believed and said publicly on repeated occasions, the Commission would benefit from having a formal and established method for collecting the advice of its shipper constituency. In fact, one of the final recommendations I made to the Commission at the conclusion of Fact Finding 28 was the need to form a Shipper Advisory Board,” said Commissioner Dye.

“I am grateful for the support this initiative had in both the Senate and the House and for its inclusion in last year’s National Defense Authorization Act. I encourage individuals with original ideas and a desire to lead to submit applications to be members of this Committee. There is no shortage of issues demanding the Commission’s attention. I am confident that with the right mix of people serving on the Advisory Committee, we can make meaningful progress in addressing those that are most urgent for the benefit of America’s freight delivery system,” she added.