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Shining Light on Farm & Food Policy for 20 Years.
Tuesday, December 03, 2024
The port congestion and skyrocketing fees that ag shippers experienced during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic have largely subsided, according to Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Daniel Maffei.
Criticism is piling up on the Federal Maritime Commission’s attempt to define exactly what a reasonable reason is for ocean carrier companies to refuse to haul U.S. farm commodity exports to their destinations overseas.
The House of Representatives voted 369-42 Monday to approve the Senate’s version of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act in an effort to reduce bottlenecks at U.S. ports and improve conditions for agricultural exports. The overwhelming vote sends the legislation to the White House, where President Joe Biden says he will sign it.
Two GOP House lawmakers Monday introduced a bill aimed at easing supply chain backlogs called the SHIP IT Act, while negotiations over the Ocean Shipping Reform Act continue in the House.
With the war in Ukraine dragging on, farmers in the European Union are going to be allowed to plant crops on conservation acreage this spring, and there is new pressure on the Biden administration to do the same.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says it’s far too early to tell how much impact the war in Ukraine will ultimately have on consumers and global food supplies.
The Ocean Shipping Reform Act, a bill aimed at ending port bottlenecks for ag exports, was introduced in the Senate Thursday even as sponsors of a tougher House-passed version sought to ramp up pressure for its enactment.
The Biden administration, together with U.S. shippers and the ag sector, are pressuring ocean carriers to stop turning down farm commodity shipments, but it may take Congress to force the issue.
