THE Freight and Trade Alliance has reiterated its call for the federal government to establish a new regulator, “along the lines of the US Federal Maritime Commission”.
In formal correspondence sent to trade minister Dan Tehan FTA sent on Monday (2 August), FTA director Paul Zalai wrote the federal commission would be to “facilitate open and competitive international trade while safeguarding the interest of Australian shippers”.
The organisation has been advocating for the new federal regulator for some months.
In the correspondence, Mr Zalai also called for the repeal of Part X of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. This piece of legislation sets up a system that regulates international shipping lines that operate in Australia and part of it exempts these companies from certain parts of Australian competition law. This part of the CCA has been under review by the ACCC since late 2019.
FTA also called for the new National Transport Commission-like entity to expand a review of the terminal access charges to examine “regulation to force stevedores and empty container parks to cost recover directly against their commercial client (shipping line) rather than via third party transport operators”.
And finally, the correspondence said a formal waterfront industrial relations review should be initiated to provide “immediate and continued business continuity for what is an essential service and our international gateway for major supply chains”.
