In a letter dated January 28, the State of California asked the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to take immediate action on port congestion.
The action would aim to help agriculture exporters facing rising costs and delays resulting from the surge of import traffic in the fall and winter of 2020.
The letter proposes steps, such as suspending or reducing detention and demurrage charges and canceling congestion surcharges.
Other proposed remedies were better communication to exporters and truckers about timeframes to return empty containers, as well as reviewing rules regarding detention and demurrage practices.