Statement: John Butler, President & CEO of the World Shipping Council on the Senate Ocean Shipping Reform Act

The World Shipping Council (WSC) notes that the Senate has now introduced its own bill, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, to amend the Shipping Act.

“Ocean carriers continue to work with all members of the supply chain, the Federal Maritime Commission, the administration, and their customers to identify and implement operational solutions to mitigate the ongoing supply chain congestion. Ocean carriers have deployed every available ship and container to move the continuing record levels of cargo resulting from pandemic-driven U.S. demand for imports—but when ships cannot get into port to discharge and load cargo because of landside logistics breakdowns, it is clear that further regulating ocean carriers will not solve the deeper challenges in U.S. supply chains,” says John Butler, President & CEO of the WSC.

“The deeply flawed bill passed by the House at the end of last year would place government officials in the role of second-guessing commercially negotiated service contracts and dictating how carriers operate ship networks – an approach that would make the existing congestion worse and stifle innovation. We look forward to the opportunity to work with the Senate to craft a final bill that – in contrast to the House bill – takes a comprehensive, forward-looking view of the real root causes of supply chain congestion – and that does not make that congestion worse,” says John Butler.

The World Shipping Council will continue to work with the Congress to seek real solutions that further strengthen the ocean transportation system that has supported the U.S. economy throughout the pandemic.