On February 13, 2025, the Federal Maritime Commission (“FMC”) issued its latest ruling in a saga concerning whether an ocean carrier’s assessment of detention and demurrage (“D+D”) charges during periods when equipment cannot be returned due to terminal closures constitutes an “unjust and unreasonable” practice in violation of the Shipping Act.  See TCW, Inc. v. Evergreen Shipping Agency (Am.) Corp., Docket No. 1966(I) (FMC Feb 13, 2025). 
Continue Reading The FMC’s Latest Ruling on Detention Charges: What it Means for Ocean Carriers

On October 9, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) published the final rule, Vessel Incidental Discharge National Standards of Performance (“VID-NSP”), establishing national performance standards under the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (“VIDA”). See 89 Fed. Reg. 82074 (Oct. 9, 2024) (see our previous blog post detailing some of the rule’s history and substance, which the

On October 18, 2023, the EPA published a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“SNPR”) regarding incidental discharges from vessels, proposing national performance standards under the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (“VIDA”).
Continue Reading EPA’s Proposed Rule on Vessel Incidental Discharges Brings VIDA One Step Closer to Full Implementation