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The Federal Maritime Commission Takes Aim at International Shipping | FMC ASSEMBLE!
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- Published on Mar 13, 2026
- FMC Assemble
January 27, 2026
In this episode, Sal Mercogliano - a maritime historian at Campbell University (@campbelledu) and former merchant mariner - discusses the Federal Maritime Commission and their involvement in the truck chassis market, maintenance tax loophole, flags of conveniences, chokepoints, ballast water, port access denial, the Red Sea, the controlled carrier list, anti-trust enforcement act against ocean carriers and Detention-Demurrage.
#supplychain #shipping #fmc #cargo #trade #ports
Support What's Going on With Shipping via:
Patreon: www.patreon.com/wgowshipping
Twitter: @mercoglianos
Bluesky: @mercoglianos.bsky.social
Facebook: @wgowshipping
Email: mercoglianosal@gmail.com
Federal Maritime Commission
www.fmc.gov/
US Ocean Shipping Antitrust Enforcement Act Takes Aim At Container Carriers
gcaptain.com/u...
FMC to Hold Hearing on Red Sea Impacts on Shipping
gcaptain.com/f...
FMC Launches Investigation Into Ocean Carriers’ Grip on U.S. Chassis Market
gcaptain.com/f...
FMC Commissioners Confirm Trump Administration Is Closing Longstanding Harbor Maintenance Tax Loophole
gcaptain.com/f...
U.S. FMC Launches Investigation into Flags of Convenience Amid Growing Safety Concerns
gcaptain.com/u...
FMC Launches Investigation into Global Maritime Chokepoints Amid Rising Shipping Disruptions
gcaptain.com/f...
FMC Closes Great Lakes Ballast Water Investigation as Canadian Exemptions Ease Concerns
gcaptain.com/f...
FMC Investigating Spain’s Alleged Port Access Denial of U.S.-Flagged Vessels
gcaptain.com/f...
FMC Secures $1.35 Million in Shipping Act Penalties from Two Carriers
gcaptain.com/f...
FMC Adds Chinese Shipping Company to Controlled Carrier List
gcaptain.com/f...
FMC Issues Final Rule on Detention and Demurrage Billing
gcaptain.com/f...
Pinned Q&A
The backdrop needs a LEGO Maersk ship or the ship in a bottle set. Maybe a pirate ship set? The globe was a great build up until the very end.
What's up sal, how are you?
Oh my !!
A Federal Agency that actually does what it's supposed to do.
Isn't that a VIOLATION of Current Policy ??
Sooooo my question is, during €ovid, what happened to those cargo containers that trucks were just leaving them in streets and parking lot’s?? It seems in the last few years that the used shipping container market kind of exploded???🤔🙄
@blaydCA expect the corruption to set in and do tacofurher's bidding
FMC deserves more funding and public education. Understanding shipping has been invaluable to understanding wider political realities.
We can all feel lucky DOGE don’t go after them…
If they keep hiring more attractive, younger ladies , that might happen 😂
Information I wasn’t aware of, the backstory is so important, thank you for bringing this to light.
Sal brings the facts and quality information
Howdy Dr. Mercogliano, I wanted to thank you for helping reshape my analysis framework when it comes to economics and logistics, particularly with regards to defence. I hope folks like Perun, the Chieftain, Drach, and yourself are impacting those cadets, junior officers and policy makers. I wish I'd had access to this sort of public facing analysis when I was cadet and CGO in the 00's.
How does Sal make this stuff lively and interesting? While maintaining brevity, accuracy, and being unbiased as a fella can be?😎
Learning to teach several centuries of history in only 50 minute blocks helps.
@wgowshipping Unexpected overlapping skills. Teaching history and RUclips maritime vlogs. I learned a lot about the FMC today. Thanks Sal.
I watched but it wasn't very interesting 😅
I love how well you describe all the shipping terms. Having been thrown into shipping industry with no education your videos would have very helpful years ago. Keep up the amazing content
Very helpful and interesting episode, Sal. Tom in Seattle
Congrats to the FMC for giving Dr Sal so many bright spots to talk about today! He’s just bubbling over with a joy that is contagious. Thanks a bunch guys & gals of the FMC.
Thank you for that explanation of “demurrage”!
Very informative, thank you. It’s also stunning (and encouraging) to see some elements of our Government can still work together despite including opposing political parties.
Learn something new every post. Thanks
I don’t know why I watch this. Not in the biz, never was. I guess it’s because it’s such a pleasure to listen to someone who actually knows what they’re talking about, cares about the US, is entertaining and doesn’t have a political axe to grind. Thanks Sal. Hooray for the FMC.
Thanks Jonathan
"People talking about things they are passionate about" is honestly about 75% of my youtube experience at this point.
Just requires the talker to not be a total ass
Thanks Sal ! Always Appreciate your content, and Updates 👍😊
It never ceases to amaze how the two party system is ‘baked into’ the system. Bit rough if you are an independent with the necessary skills required.
Yup! Not exactly independent. Just beholden to the two parties, to the degree that they cooperate, which they aren't doing.
It just says, "Not more than 3 Commissioners may be appointed from the same political party." Nothing about being only two parties, if the Senate looked like the Dutch with a bunch of parties, the same thing likely would happen to the commissions
Highly informative, as usual! Thanks!
Sal, this goes onto your BEST OF list. 👍.
Wow, thanks!
My newest and most favorite video of yours Sal!!
And I’m totally blowing up and framing that image - well played my friend!! 🤣
I will send you the pdf!
Thanks Sal appreciate your show
Learning new vocabulary every time I watch…cool.
I always learn something from your videos, thanks.
Thank you SM for sharing your knowledge.
Always enjoy your channel Sal!
Learned a lot! Thankyou!
Love a good news video. Thank you sir. Very positive news
Thanks for the info. Sal...(sail)👍💯👍💯👍💯👍
Very interesting, thank you.
Sal, you have some of the best positive banter and quips I have ever heard. You're an inspiration for others.
I though I would be bored with this but now I count myself with the dozens😅! Great education, thanks Sal, you are a maritime treasure!
Fascinating, I’m usually following the Colorado River issues, but that’s dwarfed by what I’ve learned, your delivery is concise and informative! Props! 🚢👍
Great video thank you.
Every time you talk about ports. I have a need to watch “The Wire” season 2
Appreciate the information
Great report on the FMC. Sounds like they have been busy.
Watch those chokepoints is right! The corrective action that the FMC can take in these identified maritime chokepoints is expansive and we've already seen it enter into some of the larger geopolitics discussions.
Great job Sal! You make us FMC nerds proud :)
(and thanks for the podcast shoutout!)
You and I are pure FMC nerds.
Spain kicked out US-Israel tanker traffic too, couldn't get groceries or bunkers in Algeciras. Went elsewhere in the med.
That was early on.
@wgowshipping It set the precedent.
Radical-leftists. Trump should pay them in kind.
@peteysquirrelchaser9028 We set the precedent when we excluded Jewish refugees. The MS St. Louis Incident (1939): Over 900 Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany were refused entry to the U.S. after being turned away from Cuba. The ship was forced back to Europe, and 254 of its passengers were later killed in the Holocaust.
Great video my friend. I get that feeling of being comfortable in the camper.
This is awesome, I have no stakes in this fire, but im so glad we have actually have a relatively responsible government agency enforcing something as important as shipping, which is basically the entire reason we have an empire.
Thank you Sal
This episode is fire.
I found the loophole problem caused by Canada very interesting.
Also it’s a shame that the Senate can’t get the nominee approved for the FMC
The cargo loophole caused a lot of problems, we (waves from the West coast of Canada) did not scale our border security with our port capacity, which left us wide open to organized crime as a transit hub (something like 1% of containers were being inspected). After that it didn't take long for the big international players to steamroll the domestic Canadian gangs, clearing room for the rise of new bloods like Ryan Wedding. It is going to take a long time to find and fix all the rabbit holes that have been dug under the 49th parallell, but at least folks are starting to talk about the issue, Sam Cooper is a reporter to look for on the the subject.
It's not a loophole because it's not true. Unloading in Halifax is not cheaper than New Jersey. Vancouver vs Long Beach. The only thing that is happening is what is more timely/cheaper based on what ships are going where at what time. Sure like the other person said there is security problems but per the US government more fent come in through long Beach vs Canada entirely. Frankly disappointed that Sal would just repeat all this uncritically. As if government interests don't colour the statements said...
Yeah, this is an American channel that repeats Administration disinformation uncritically. America can pass all the laws it likes. The world used to pay attention. Now? Not so much.
I smell a bot
thank you for the insight commissar
SAL..... omg im dead. that thumbnail sir....
I am proud of this one. It won't be a huge video...but nevertheless...I enjoyed it.
If US have the right to refuse ship entry into US harbors then other countries must have the same option. FMC should also take a look at what US actions harm other countries shipping.
Every country has the right to refuse entry of a ship into one of their harbors. What the heck are you talking about? You need to do some basic research on the laws of the sea before making such comments. Sal has videos covering this and there is also Wp.
@MarcosElMalo2 What I am talking about is that Spain will not let US transship cargo to Israel in Spanish ports. As punishment shipment to US from Spain can get a tariff or be blocked.
@bknesheimso Spain is blocking US ships? No wonder they are getting tariffs imposed upon them. Bit silly they just use Gibraltar instead.
@russellhenderson8941 no FMC literally will try and force ports to accept USA ships against their will. USA clearly has no respect for other countries by design.
We still need Capt Sal US Pirate Comand merch.
I'll Bab al-Mandab to that!
Loved when you said “yes you did collude!” I remember that episode way back and I know not a lot.
I’m reading “Warship Builders”, and a lot of things we’ve been seeing with regard to ship construction (civilian and military) are the same things we saw in the lead up to WWII.
Excellent book. I was referencing it today.
Really interesting!
I hear ya Sal on the demurrage, and yes there were some shady things happening at Ports and with Steamship lines. But its easy not to mention all the things Shippers & Consignee's do that caused some of these problems. Continuing to order product when they have no warehouse space or are under quota and can't take delivery. Using ocean terminals as off site warehouse space. Coming on the last day of free time and expecting to pick up all of their containers out in the last 1/2 hour of the working day. Ocean terminals work in a limited defined space. Steady gate out of imports and gate ins of exports and empties is required to efficiently operate and allow for new vessels to dock and work. It's easy to park a news van outside a terminal and a reporter to say... here is where the problem is. It's not easy to film outside a Fortune 500 company, who is probably and advertiser, and say this is where the problem started and they have no idea how to fix it....
All very good points. The entire supply chain has to work together.
Thanks Sal
Thanks
LOL Love your poster, Sal! 😉
I might be one of the dozen. lol. I know there are zones on the lakes where invasive species are trying to be contained hence ballast water treatment or exchange is needed on vessels trading only on the Great Lakes. I had hoped we would address the practice of cargo hold cleaning that US vessels undertake in Canadian waters. Often vessels can be seen on Marine Traffic northbound on Lake Huron just over the Canadian border running parallel to it.
The FMC should be the Sleeping Dragon that operators should fear to poke.
ruclips.net/video/a4clwyZFoYw/video.htmlsi=6gew3dW-Z5EjGNX3
Demurrage has a different meaning in the tanker industry: it's compensation paid by the charterer (often recoverable from the supplying or receiving terminal) to the shipowner when the load and/or discharge operation takes too long - if it's the terminal's fault. Arguing about what happened when, why, whose fault it was, what the contract says or doesn't say, and whether the terminal has any intention of honouring its liabilities (good luck recovering money from NOCs in certain countries...), keeps many, many people gainfully employed and occasionally ends up in court.
I hope this is of interest to the dozens watching this video.
best episode this year.
At 05:50 on this vid, ...control chassis selection..., can you please explain more on this subject as to whom the selection should fall and why? Thank you in advance
Nice title card
Any other Administration i might trust these changes in process. Now it appears to be just another move to increase leverage for more extortion or a reward for somebodies campaign contributions.
Ring FMC bell !!
Thank You for 🔔 alarming notices!
You have all the agencies over there but not too many ships?
True
Yea finally I know what OOCL stands for
as a native land locked texan.... why DO i love WGoWS so much???? idk... other than sals sultry crooning i mean....
Do you really need any other reason.
Yes...yes you do!
Had to rewind that beginning. Captain America is my favorite.
Someones really liking those glass frames..........
Count me as one of the dozens interested!
Could you do an in depth talk the US Maritime Service in its current "volunteer organization" per 46 USC and 46 CFR?
Hey Sal, how did you find out it was trucks that caused those ships to be denied entry from those Spanish ports?
There was a report on it, plus I know some of the crew on the ships.
@wgowshipping Thanks, so not something an ordinary person could do, fair.
Mariners on Jones Act ships don't receive workers' compensation if injured while onboard. They receive aid and attendance. Also part of the Jones Act.
👍👍
It’s not like the ocean carriers pay the HMF. Passed on to the customer in the customs duty process unless DDP.
USCG has a ship off the coast of Jacksonville. Haven't seen this before like as long term as its been. I swear first of the year
Sal, as of today, surprised you have not reported year ending 2025 TEU's imported to LA/Long Beach.
I did an episode on the total US Container totals.
ruclips.net/video/FVPTquZSiBY/video.htmlsi=oW6xhu0U4HqQZ1Ft
On the surface, the Canadian requirement for treatment of ballast water within the Great Lakes still makes sense to me.
Areas of the Great Lakes have been infested with invasive species, with efforts underway to try to combat invasive populations. Haveing ships constantly transplanting untreated water throughout different parts of this massive group of lakes makes addressing the problem harder overall, so requiring them to maintain ballast sanitisation still makes sense. The Great Lakes is not one small lake, it is essentially an inland sea with different interconnected ecosystems.
NG demand in USA has gone “parabolic” along with pricing, the 2 x of pricing per therm in 3 days……? In hedging. PS, enjoy your snow day in NC on Saturday, be rooting for yea from Jekyll Island.
Only ships moving in Jacksonville other than Jaxport car carriers at Blount Island is Crowley exporting to Puerto Rico
👍
i must also insist that ballast issues can be transferred easily with local waters simply entering an already contaminated tank. think for example of the bugs one finds in diesel fuels. they come in, live in the tanks.. feed off all new fills of the tank.. and still live there, clogging up filters. this only one of who knows truly now how many.. remember.. we have humans with skills playing with genes and things
Sal, can you address the what if of Vancouver being a potential US Port and how flow of goods to shirk the .125 fee could be impacted?
Goods coming into Vancouver are using Canadian rail and heading across Canada and coming into the mid-west due to the rail agreement between Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City cutting down via Chicago.
I would have to pull the value of goods to give you the exact amount.
Thank you Sir!
How about if Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle become Canadian ports? MUCH more realistic.🍁🍁 Canada is the pragmatic democracy that USA has always failed to become.
🤣😂😅 you are my favorite Sal❤ you're my Captain America
Hey, I just saw a video on X/Twitter about heavy fuel oil. The video apparently contained some inaccuracies based on the comment responses, but it made me super curious what this stuff really looks like, what temperature it flows at, and how its cost compares to other fuel sources. Is that something you'd be willing to do a technical deep dive on?
imho they need to have more land based coverage as well. our shipping lanes extend onto the land often up rivers but often too, out highways and inter/intra state roads. we need hubs outside of these areas so things don't get so crowded due to foreign influences. that means not only more truck stops but fully monitored and guarded trailer drop sites outside those major cities and hubs. the whole system needs far more rooms built for breathing. ...how many tucking companies are truly foreign owned.. and do we even understand the truth?
Hi Sal, any chance you could clear up an issue. Canada redirecting cargo from USA transport system and ports to Churchill in Hudson bay. The port has been upgraded and the rail line is now class one.
How much of an affect will that have on USA ports?
I can take a look at the data.
If we are going to rebuild the US commercial fleet, FMC is essential.
Are you wearing sunglasses in the poster?
Yes
What's going on with the Mississippi? Is it losing a *lot* of water?
I’m calling it, “wavier”of the “Jones” act, as LNG tankers race back to export terminals to keep NG flowing in the USA under this unprecedented demand cold snap. USA is on the very edge of pipeline pressures not being able to keep up.
Sounds like the Gov is accidently doing something right. Astonishing.
Hi Sal, if cargo ships to US via Canada to dodge having to pay a levy for US Ports, surely they are not costing the ports anything, why should they pay to support them?
Not only the Jones Act would not go away, but also it will likely strengthened.
This is deeper than export import but how they with maritime law allow you to be a product owned the the USA in fact & that's a global issue to many should look into with logic with jurisdiction & rights of those to flags to tags to trafficking to marshal law FTC. To FMC should give me more info into paying me to those who had identity stolen to new moor & request for diplomacy & stop our corruption to Epstein to evil ppl involved be caged with funds to banks ceased to seems damage control by Donald wanting to hide his involvement to Isr & others evils.
What ate the Pacific chokepoint know for China, and WW-2 Japan?
Ground control to Major Tom, you're coming in hot 🔥 over Duluth!
Hey, I'm a hot shot freight driver.
Space debris 1 24 2026 RUclips. Picked up on four cams, very cool.
Sal, your right about foreign, mostly European ships coming into multiple Canadian ports to offload and have their cargo trucked or loaded on trains for America. Then they pick up in America and leave. Not always for home ports.
Detroit has three crossings and the Gordie Howe International will make four this year. The footprint of the Border Patrol is One Square Mile! Between trucks, ships and rail Detroit and Windsor will be the busiest border in North America.
Your Captain America impersonation was, uh, well, um, er, "interesting."
I will take that.
Watch the chokepoints
Navy ships do a freshwater wash down before leaving foreign countries. Even the Marine Corps vehicles. I always suspected ballast transfers. Great need for more coast guards. IMO 🇺🇸
Rota!
Sal, If Alex Peretti was on a navigable water way(during the incident)and had a motor vessel, do yoy think he would still be alive?
The US cargo fleet is tiny. 7 of the largest shipping lines are European.
A lot of these FMC investigations look to me like the sorts of things that would be better done by the IMO.
Fully Mission Capable?