Schrier’s Ocean Shipping Reform Act Clears The House

Last week, the House passed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, legislation cosponsored by Washington representative Kim Schrier, as an effort to address some of the supply chain issues. In recent months, ocean liners from China and other countries have been returning to their home ports empty after delivering to the U.S., making it hard for U.S. agriculture to export commodities. Schrier noted OSRA would give the Federal Maritime Commission more power to establish more reciprocal trade.

“And then prohibit ocean shipping carriers from either jacking up prices or declining opportunities to take our goods overseas.  It would allow them to stop this returning of empty containers, because that’s just acting in bad faith.  It is time, it is long past time for an ocean shipping reform act.”

The bipartisan Ocean Shipping Reform Act, is the first major update of federal regulations for the ocean shipping industry since 1988. It cleared the House by a 364 – 60 vote and now heads to the Senate.

Click Here to read the legislation in its entirety.

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