Full Volume 19 - Federal Maritime Commission

19 F M C
FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION
DOCKET No 7410
FREIGHT FORWARDER BIDS ON GOVERNMENT SHIPMENTS AT UNITED
STATES PORTSPOSSIBLE VIOLATIONS OF THE SHIPPING ACT 1916
AND GENERAL ORDER 4
Fees assessed GSA for ocean freight forwarding services found in certain instances to
violate section 16 First of the Shipping Act 1916 and Commission General Order
4
Freight forwarder services must be charged for uniformly to avoid giving unreasonable
preference or advantage
Issues of whether section 35 exemption should be granted or whether General Order 4
should be amended to include a rule governing the practices of forwarders bidding
on GSA contracts and providing services thereunder held under advisement pending
further review
Frank J Costello for Air Sea Forwarders Inc
W B Ewers for Cobal International Inc
Thomas H McGowan for Meyer Shipping Company
Gerald H Ullman for National Customs Brokers and Forwarders
Association of America and New York Foreign Freight Forwarders and
Brokers Association
Francis X Davis Leonard Salters and William Smith for General
Services Administration
C Douglass Miller and C Jonathan Renner Hearing Counsel
REPORT AND ORDER
March 18 1977
By THE COMMISSION Karl E Bakke Chairman Clarence Morse Vice
Chairman Ashton C Barrett Bob Casey and James V Day
Commissioners
The Commission instituted this proceeding to determine 1 whether
the practices of Respondent ocean freight forwarders 1 as they relate to
bidding for forwarding contracts tendered by the Government Services
Administration GSA of the United States and rendering services
thereunder are in violation of section 16 of the Shipping Act 1916 the
I Air Sea Forwarders Inc Air Sea Alltransport Incorporated Alltransport
Geo S Bush Co Inc Bush
Cobal International Inc Cabal Gulf Florida Terminal Company Gulf Florida Meyer Shipping Company Meyer
Ras Forwarding Services Ros and W O Smith and Co Smith
619