The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act by an overwhelming majority and moved it to President Joe Biden’s desk.
The bill boosts the authority of the Federal Maritime Commission to collect data from ocean carriers on imports and exports, block unfair fees and enforce those measures when needed.
Biden released a statement saying he looks forward to signing the bill, as it addresses ocean carriers’ increased costs during the pandemic and empty containers being shipped back to Asia. “Lowering prices for Americans is my top priority, and I applaud the Congress for passing the Ocean Shipping Reform Act on a bipartisan basis, which will help lower costs for American retailers, farmers and consumers,” Biden said.
Both the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) and North American Meat Institute applauded the bill’s passage.
“USMEF thanks both houses of Congress for their strong bipartisan support of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, and we look forward to final approval by President Biden,” USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom said in a statement. “In these times of rising input costs, it has never been more important to maximize the value of our agricultural products, and the best way to do that is to ensure access to the international marketplace. This legislation takes important steps forward in improving the shipping services available to U.S. exporters.”
