Consolidation of shipping lines, realignment of carriers alliances, environmental improvements in the shipping industry and achieving supply chain efficiencies were all among topics addressed during the U.S.-China Bilateral Maritime Consultations held in Los Angeles last week.
Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Chairman Mario Cordero co-headed the U.S. delegation to the meeting with Deputy Maritime Administrator Michael Rodriguez. The consultations are organized by the Maritime Administration and the Chinese Ministry of Transportation and take place on a regular basis. This year’s session was held June 1-2.
During the two-day session, Cordero led discussions on a number of key topics where the FMC has jurisdiction or particular competence. Two developing matters related to China and shipping were the merger of China Ocean Shipping Company and China Shipping Container Lines; and, the significant change in shipping company alliances that is taking place as a result of other merger and acquisition activity in the broader container shipping industry. Cordero also addressed ways in which the FMC is working to reduce port congestion by discussing the Supply Chain Innovation Teams Initiative launched earlier this year and being headed by Commissioner Rebecca Dye; and, he provided a briefing on how two different port alliance agreements filed at the Commission by the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and Seattle-Tacoma seek to improve efficiencies in those respective regions.