The Federal Maritime Commission's (Commission) regulatory objectives are guided by the Agency's basic mission. The Commission's mission is to administer the shipping statutes as effectively as possible to provide an efficient, economic, and nondiscriminatory ocean transportation system in an environment free of unfair foreign maritime trade practices. Commission regulations are designed to implement each of the various statutes the Agency administers in a manner consistent with this mission and in a way that minimizes regulatory costs, fosters economic efficiencies, and promotes international harmony.
Proposed legislation pending in Congress could alter significantly the Federal regulatory scheme regarding international ocean shipping. The Commission is monitoring this legislation closely as it obviously would affect the Agency's regulatory planning and priorities and, depending on the effective date(s) of its provisions, could require regulatory action during the coming year. If enacted in its current proposed version, this legislation will require review and rewrite of many of the Commission's substantive regulations. One of the most significant changes would be to the treatment of common carrier tariffs, the publications which contain the rates and charges for their transportation services. Currently, such tariffs are required to be filed with the Commission's Automated Tariff Filing and Information System. Under the proposed legislation, carriers no longer will have to file with the Commission, but will be required to publish their rates in private, automated tariff systems, to be made available electronically to any person. The Commission would be charged with prescribing the requirements for the ``accessibility and accuracy'' of these automated tariff systems. Against this background, the Commission has initiated an inquiry to solicit comments from the ocean transportation industry and the general public on how best to establish requirements for carriers' automated tariff systems, to assist the Commission in formulating proposed rules in this area.
Until any such legislation is enacted and an implementation schedule is determined, the principal objective or priority of the Agency's current regulatory plan will be to continue to assess its major existing regulations for continuing need, effectiveness, burden on the regulated industry, fairness, and clarity.
The Commission continues to have under review, inter alia, regulations regarding passenger vessel operator financial responsibility and co-loading arrangements between non-vessel-operating common carriers.
The Commission's review of existing regulations exemplifies its objective to regulate fairly and effectively while imposing a minimum burden on the regulated entities, following the principles stated by the President in Executive Order 12866.
Description of the Most Significant Regulatory Actions
The Commission currently has no actions under consideration that constitute ``significant regulatory actions'' under the definition in Executive Order 12866.