Senate Commerce Clears Ocean Shipping Reform Act, to WSC's Dismay

Congress should abandon the Ocean Shipping Reform Act because it won't address the “root causes” of U.S. port congestion and supply chain bottlenecks, said the World Shipping Council Wednesday, hours after the Senate Commerce Committee cleared the bill Tuesday. The WSC, which represents many of the world's major ocean carriers, said the legislation doesn't do “anything to fix the landside logistics breakdowns that are at the heart of America’s supply chain problems.” Congress instead "should seek real solutions that take a comprehensive, forward-looking view,” and focus on investing more in port infrastructure and better collaboration across logistics sectors, said WSC. The bill was lauded by importers, who say it could help hold carriers more accountable.