Federal Maritime Commission

Federal Maritime Commission

Summary of Federal Maritime Commission

An independent agency within the U.S. government charged with oversight and regulation of the steamship industry in foreign and domestic offshore commerce. The FMC was established as the Federal Maritime Board by the Shipping Act of 1916. Principal areas of commission responsibility include acceptance or rejection of tariffs tendered by common carriers (the commission has the authority to set maximum and minimum rates in the domestic offshore trade and to suspend such rates); approval of intercarrier agreements under authority of Section 15 of the Shipping Act, thereby extending antitrust immunity to carriers engaged in collective ratemaking or rulemaking; licensing of ocean freight forwarders; administration of the vessel certification provisions of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act; rulemaking under the Shipping Act, various merchant marine acts, and related legislation; and adjudication of complaints and disputes arising within the scope of commission jurisdiction. The commission consists of five members, including a chairman, all of whom are appointed by the president, subject to Senate confirmation. The commission is supported by a headquarters staff and six regional offices

(Main Author: William J. Miller)


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