US AAFA welcomes introduction of Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021

11 Aug '21

2 min read

Pic: Shutterstock

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) recently welcomed the introduction of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021 (OSRA 21) in the House of Representatives. The act addresses issues that have been ‘a thorn in the side of American business for years’, and comes when a shipping crisis is stymieing US economic recovery,” said AAFA chief executive officer and president Steve Lamar.

The bipartisan bill was introduced by Congressmen John Garamendi (Democratic) and Dusty Johnson (Republican) and would require the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to establish and enforce rules regarding minimum service requirements for shippers, respond to breaches of contracts, and address excessive and unjust detention and demurrage fees.

“This bill will go a long way in preventing future shipping crises. However, it will not be able to help American businesses that are struggling now due to the current, unprecedented shipping crisis that continues to spiral out of control,” Lamar said in a statement.

“With this in mind, we urge the [Joe] Biden administration to provide relief to American businesses now, by eliminating unnecessary and costly tariffs by renewing GSP [generalised system of preferences] and MTB [Miscellaneous Tariff Bill ] and ending the China Section 301 tariffs. Further, we call on the Biden administration to bring all stakeholders to the table to find an immediate resolution to the current shipping crisis and to require the FMC to fulfill its oversight role to address price gouging and other malpractices,” he added.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)

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