The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) has commended Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Commissioner Carl Bentzel and the Commission’s staff for their outstanding work over the past two years in shedding light on issues related to data availability, cargo, and container visibility, and the imperative for enhanced data exchange and accuracy.
As a major player in U.S. trade involving ocean containers, representing nearly 90 percent of the industry, the NCBFAA lauds the FMC’s Maritime Transportation Data Initiative (MTDI). Leveraging its extensive expertise and insights into the business practices of ocean common carriers, the interplay between industry stakeholders, and the dynamic nature of logistics and transportation, NCBFAA provided valuable feedback.
The NCBFAA specifically highlighted comments from its member, Gabriel Rodriguez, President of A Customs Brokerage, which the association believes resonates with a significant portion of its membership. Rodriguez, who also chairs the Data and Visibility subcommittee on the FMC National Shipper Advisory Committee (NASC), emphasized the importance of accountability among Ocean Carriers. He stressed that carriers should readily provide comprehensive details in a transparent and cost-free manner, placing the onus on them as the responsible party.
While the MTDI places significant emphasis on carrier data alignment at the container level, it does not encompass NASC’s December 2022 recommendations for shipment-level data alignment, intermodal data alignment, and the final recommendation regarding data consistency and alignment.
“I am grateful for the support letter from President JD Gonzalez and the NCBFAA on Commissioner Bentzel’s Request for Information related to the Maritime Transportation Data Initiative,” noted Rodriguez. “This is the reason I joined NCBFAA, as it gives me a voice to influence those very regulations and policies that affect our industry.”
