    [United States Government Manual]
    [May 30, 1997]
    [Pages 545-548]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    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                                   Thomas Panebianco
    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 Opportunity  (vacancy)
    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 Administration            Sandra L. Kusumoto

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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

    [[Page 546]]

    [[Page 547]]

    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 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.

    [[Page 548]]

                Area Representatives--Federal Maritime Commission
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          District              Address/Phone            Representative
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Los Angeles           Rm. 1018, 300 S. Ferry
                           St., San Pedro, CA
                           90731.
                          Phone, 310-514-4905.      Oliver E. Clark
                           Fax, 310-514-3931. E-
                           mail, clark@cris.com.
    Miami                 Rm. 736, 909 SE. First
                           Ave., Miami, FL 33131.
                          Phone, 305-536-4316.      Andrew Margolis
                           Fax, 305-536-4317. E-
                           mail, margolis@cris.com.
    New Orleans           Rm. 303, 423 Canal St.,
                           New Orleans, LA 70130.
                          Phone, 504-589-6662.      Alvin N. Kellogg
                           Fax, 504-589-6664. E-
                           mail, kellogg@cris.com.
    North Atlantic        800 N. Capitol St.,
                           Washington, DC 20573-
                           0001.
                          Phone, 202-523-0300.      Michael F. Carley
                           Fax, 202-523-3725. E-
                           mail, carleym@cris.com.
    Seattle               3236 16th Ave. SW.,
                           Seattle, WA 98134.
                          Phone, 206-553-0221.      Michael A. Moneck
                           Fax, 206-553-0222. E-
                           mail, moneckm@cris.com.
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    Sources of Information

    Electronic Access  Information about the Federal Maritime Commission is
    available in electronic form through the Internet, at http://
    www.fmc.gov/.

    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. E-mail, josephf@fmc.gov.

    Publications  The Thirty-fifth Annual Report (1996) is a recent
    publication of the Federal Maritime Commission.

    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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