FMC Receives Complaints on 5 Unlicensed Firms

The US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) said it recently received questions and complaints about some companies shipping cargo between the US and Brazil.

The companies in question are Fastway Moving and Storage Inc. DBA Dream Cargo, Fastway Moving and Services Corp., Fastway Moving and Trading Inc., Donadel Auto Transport LLC, and Abreu Logistics USA LLC.

As explained by the FMC, consumers have not received their goods despite making payment for shipments.

The FMC informed that none of these companies holds an ocean transportation intermediary (OTI) license and bond. The commission revoked the licenses of the first three of five aforementioned companies. The remaining two firms have never held an OTI license and bond.

“They are not authorized to provide international ocean shipping services,” the FMC said.

Separately, the FMC informed it voted to advance a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that simplifies and streamlines its Non-Vessel-Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) Service Arrangements (NSA) and Negotiated Rate Arrangements (NRA) rules and procedures.

Through the NPRM, the commission seeks feedback on three key proposals – ending the requirement for NSAs to be filed with the commission, expanding the ability of NVOCCs and shippers to amend NRAs, and, finally, allowing the act of tendering cargo to be considered acceptance of a rate under the terms of an NRA.

The NPRM will include a specific request for public comments addressing whether the commission should expand the NRA rules to allow inclusion of non-rate economic terms. It will be published in the Federal Register in the coming weeks and will include instructions on how interested parties can file comments.

“I am pleased that the commission has taken this step to move forward on a petition to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens that increase complexity and costs in America’s ocean supply chain,” Michael A. Khouri, Acting Chairman, commented.