COVID-19 and the Ocean Transportation Supply Chain
With your Southeast Regional Ag News, I am Haylie Shipp. This is the Ag Information Network.
The pandemic has had its impacts on ocean transport and, as such, Federal Maritime Commissioner Rebecca Dye recently released the final fact-finding report titled, “The Effects of COVID-19 on the U.S. International Ocean Transportation Supply Chain.”
Coming out of this report, Robbie Minnich, Senior Government Relations Representative with the National Cotton Council, shares that the report details two recurring pandemic-related concerns that were highlighted by importers and exporters…
“The high cost of shipping cargo and excessive demurrage and detention charges.”
The final report gives 12 recommendations…
“Some of the recommendations that would be of interest to the U.S. cotton industry include an FMC outreach initiative to promote more shipping information being public about FMC competition, enforcement, service contracts, forecasting, shipping associations, and others. Also enhance cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture concerning container availability and other issues, and finally a reinvigorated focus on the extreme supply chain equipment dislocations in Memphis Railheads and also other facilities around the country.”
The full Federal Maritime Commission will review the recommendations and make determinations.
