[United States Government Manual]
[May 31, 1996]
[Pages 543-546]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


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FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION

800 North Capitol Street NW., Washington, DC 20573-0001
Phone, 202-523-5707
Chairman                                         Harold J. Creel, Jr.
Commissioners                                    Ming C. Hsu, Joe 
                                                     Scroggins, Jr., 
                                                     Delmond J.H. Won, 
                                                     (vacancy)
General Counsel                                  Robert D. Bourgoin
Secretary                                        Joseph C. Polking
  Director, Office of Informal                   Joseph T. Farrell
      Inquiries, Complaints, and 
      Informal Dockets
Chief Administrative Law Judge                   Norman D. Kline
Director, Office of Equal Employment             Mary A. Jackson
    Opportunity
Inspector General                                Tony P. Kominoth
Managing Director                                Edward Patrick Walsh
  Deputy Managing Director                       Bruce A. Dombrowski
  Director, Bureau of Economics and              Austin Schmitt
      Agreements Analysis
  Director, Bureau of Tariffs,                   Bryant L. VanBrakle
      Certification, and Licensing
  Director, Bureau of Enforcement                Vern W. Hill
  Director, Bureau of                            Sandra L. Kusumoto
      Administration
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The Federal Maritime Commission regulates the waterborne foreign 
commerce of the United States, ensures that U.S. international trade is 
open to all nations on fair and equitable terms, and protects against 
unauthorized, concerted activity in the waterborne commerce of the 
United States. This is accomplished through maintaining surveillance 
over steamship conferences and common carriers by water; ensuring that 
only the rates on file with the Commission are charged; reviewing 
agreements between persons subject to the Shipping Act of 1984; 
guaranteeing equal treatment to shippers, carriers, and other persons 
subject to the shipping statutes; and ensuring that adequate levels of 
financial responsibility are maintained for indemnification of 
passengers.

The Federal Maritime Commission was established by Reorganization Plan 
No. 7 of 1961 (5 U.S.C. app.), effective August 12, 1961. It is an 
independent agency that regulates shipping under the following statutes: 
the Shipping Act of 1984 (46 U.S.C. app. 1701-1720); the Merchant Marine 
Act, 1920 (46 U.S.C. app. 861 et seq.); the Foreign Shipping Practices 
Act of 1988 (46 U.S.C. app. 1710a); the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 (46 
U.S.C. app. 1101 et seq.); and certain provisions of the act of November 
6, 1966 (46 U.S.C. app. 817(d) and 817(e)).

Activities

Agreements  The Commission reviews for legal sufficiency agreements 
filed under section 5 of the Shipping Act of 1984 (46 U.S.C. app. 1704), 
including conference, interconference, and cooperative working 
agreements among common carriers, terminal operators, and other persons 
subject to the shipping statutes. It also monitors activities under all 
effective (1984 act) or approved (1916 act) agreements for compliance 
with the provisions of law and its rules, orders, and regulations.
Tariffs  The Commission accepts or rejects tariff filings, including 
filings

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dealing with service contracts, of common carriers engaged in the 
foreign and domestic offshore commerce of the United States, or 
conferences of such carriers. Special permission applications may be 
submitted for relief from statutory and/or Commission tariff 
requirements. The Commission monitors the activities of controlled 
carriers under section 9 of the Shipping Act of 1984 (46 U.S.C. app. 
1708, 1709, 1714).
Licenses  The Commission issues licenses to persons, partnerships, 
corporations, or associations desiring to engage in ocean freight 
forwarding activities.
Passenger Indemnity  The Commission administers the passenger indemnity 
provisions of the act of November 6, 1966, which require shipowners and 
operators to obtain certificates of financial responsibility to pay 
judgments for personal injury or death or to refund fares in the event 
of nonperformance of voyages.
Informal Complaints  The Commission reviews alleged or suspected 
violations of the shipping statutes and rules and regulations of the 
Commission and may take administrative action to institute formal 
proceedings, to refer matters to other governmental agencies, or to 
bring about voluntary agreement between the parties.
Formal Adjudicatory Procedure  The Commission conducts formal 
investigations and hearings on its own motion and adjudicates formal 
complaints in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 
note prec. 551).
Rulemaking  The Commission promulgates rules and regulations to 
interpret, enforce, and ensure compliance with shipping and related 
statutes by common carriers and other persons subject to the statutes.
Investigation, Audit, and Financial and Economic Analyses  The 
Commission prescribes and administers programs to ensure compliance with 
the provisions of the shipping statutes. These programs include the 
submission of information; field investigations and audits of activities 
and practices of common carriers, conferences, terminal operators, 
freight forwarders, and other persons subject to the shipping statutes; 
and rate analyses, studies, and economic reviews of current and 
prospective trade conditions, including the extent and nature of 
competition in various trade areas.
International Affairs  The Commission conducts investigations of foreign 
governmental and foreign carrier practices that adversely affect the 
U.S. shipping trade and, in conjunction with the Department of State, 
conducts activities to effect the elimination of discriminatory 
practices on the part of foreign governments against United States-flag 
shipping and to achieve comity between the United States and its trading 
partners.

              District Offices--Federal Maritime Commission             
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      District                 Address              Officer in Charge   
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Los Angeles.........  Suite 5170, 501 W. Ocean  Oliver E. Clark       
                       Blvd., Long Beach, CA                            
                       90802.                                           
Miami...............  Suite 302, 18441 NW. 2d   Andrew Margolis       
                       Ave., Miami, FL 33169.                           
New York............  Suite 614, 6 World Trade  (Vacancy)               
                       Ctr., New York, NY                               
                       10048-0949.                                      
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Sources of Information

Employment  Employment inquiries may be directed to the Office of 
Personnel, Federal Maritime Commission, 800 North Capitol Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20573-0001. Phone, 202-523-5773.
Informal Complaints   Phone, 202-523-5807.
Publications  The Thirty-fourth Annual Report (1995) is a recent 
publication of the Federal Maritime Commission.

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For further information, contact the Office of the Secretary, Federal 
Maritime Commission, 800 North Capitol Street NW., Washington, DC 20573-
0001. Phone, 202-523-5725. Fax, 202-523-0014.

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