Federal Maritime Commission Reauthorization Act of 2025
Federal Maritime Commission Reauthorization Act of 2025 would reauthorize and bolster the Federal Maritime Commission’s (FMC) funding and powers from 2026 through 2029. The bill expands FM C’s scope to cover the common carriage of goods by water in foreign commerce, strengthens oversight of shipping exchanges (including anti-competitive practices), and creates new national advisory committees to advise on policy affecting international ocean freight. It also enhances data collection, reporting, and transparency—including on trade imbalances and vessel-operating common carrier audits—and pushes for price-index Rulemaking on containerized freight. A number of technical and conforming amendments are included, such as updating definitions and reorganizing advisory committees. Overall, the measure aims to improve competition, reliability, and transparency in U.S. ocean freight markets and the FMC’s oversight role.
Key Points
- 1Authorization of appropriations for 2026–2029 with steadily increasing funding levels (FY2026: $49.2 million; FY2027: $51.66 million; FY2028: $54.243 million; FY2029: $57.016 million).
- 2New and expanded authority over shipping exchanges and market practices: the FMC may investigate complaints of market manipulation or anticompetitive practices by shipping exchanges registered with the FMC, with a new section (Sec. 40505) requiring investigations and reporting to Congress.
- 3Creation and reorganization of national advisory committees: establishment and redesign of advisory bodies to include a National Shipper Advisory Committee (renamed as the Shipper Committee), a National Port Advisory Committee (Port Committee), and a National Ocean Carrier Advisory Committee (Carrier Committee), with specified membership and representation to advise on competitiveness, reliability, and efficiency of the international ocean freight system.
- 4Expanded data collection and transparency requirements: quarterly FMC reporting, restrictions to avoid duplicating data submitted to other agencies, inclusion of marine terminal operators in public disclosures, and enhanced annual reporting—covering trade imbalances and results from the Vessel-Operating Common Carrier Audit Program.
- 5Containerized freight index rulemaking: FMC must issue an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on price indexes for containerized ocean freight within 1 year of enactment and publish a final rule within 3 years, aiming to improve price transparency for shippers.