Senators Question FMC on Container Shortage

(Journal of Commerce Online – R.G.Edmonson)

Letter from agriculture committee says lawmakers seek ways to boost exports

Leaders of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee this week joined the chorus of lawmakers and shippers asking what can be done about equipment shortages and vessel capacity that are hindering the export of agricultural products.

In a letter to Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Richard A. Lidinsky Jr. on Wednesday, Committee Chairman Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., and Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., the committee’s senior Republican, said that agricultural exporters may be forced to wait a month to book cargo on a ship, and in parts of the country, they are unable to obtain containers. Read more here.

Related: Container shortage increases costs and slows trade (Transport Intelligence)