Buttigieg’s Deflects Port Surcharges Amid Labor Dispute
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, President Biden and Vice President Harris are closely monitoring any attempts by companies to opportunistically raise prices, including ocean shippers or others, during the labor dispute at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports. Our administration is calling on ocean carriers to withdraw their surcharges. No one should exploit a disruption for profit, especially at a time when whole regions of the country are recovering from Hurricane Helene. The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has stated that it will use the authority the President called for and signed into law to ensure any fees assessed are legitimate and lawful. President Biden has directed our administration to use every authority at the federal level and to support state and local officials as they use the authorities at their disposal. We are closely monitoring potential supply chain impacts and assessing ways to address potential impacts, if necessary.
