FMC swamped with cases, BAL Container Line challenges on SSA Marine Terminal

Posted on October 30, 2023   |  

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) in Washington DC is currently handling a high volume of cases. 

A recent complaint has been filed by China's BAL Container Line, specifically concerning congestion surcharges that SSA Marine Terminal imposed.

The complaint alleges that these surcharges were enforced without a clear link to actual terminal congestion and were continued even when containers were placed in hard-to-reach terminal areas.

Dissatisfied shippers have initiated a significant portion of the cases being addressed by the FMC. 

These shippers were frustrated by the costs and delays they encountered during the period from 2020 to 2022, a time when the shipping industry saw substantial financial gains.

In the year leading up to September, the FMC successfully resolved 36 cases, nearly triple the cases addressed 2 years earlier.