81 FR 32328 - Petition of COSCO Container Lines Company Limited for an Exemption From Commission Regulations; Notice of Filing of Request for Extension of Time

FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 99 (May 23, 2016)

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 99 (Monday, May 23, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 32328]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-12020]


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FEDERAL MARITIME COMMISSION

[Petition No. P1-16]


Petition of COSCO Container Lines Company Limited for an 
Exemption From Commission Regulations; Notice of Filing of Request for 
Extension of Time

    This is to provide notice of filing and to invite comments on or 
before May 27, 2016, with regard to a requested extension of time for 
an exemption previously granted as described below.
    On January 15, 2016, COSCO Container Lines Company Limited 
(``COSCON'') (Petitioner), petitioned the Commission pursuant to 46 CFR 
502.76 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure, for an 
exemption from the Commission's rules requiring individual service 
contract amendments, 46 CFR 530.10. Petitioner explained that ``[o]n or 
about March 1, 2016, COSCON will acquire by time charter the 
containerships and certain other assets of China Shipping Container 
Lines Co. (``China Shipping'')'' and, as such, requested that the 
Commission permit the submission of a ``universal notice to the 
Commission and to the service contract parties'' instead of filing an 
amendment for each of the seven hundred (700) service contracts that 
will be assigned to COSCON. In addition COSCON proposed to send 
electronic notice to each shipper counter party. Because China Shipping 
tariffs would be taken over by COSCON and renumbered and republished, 
COSCON also sought a waiver to avoid amending each contract with the 
new tariff number, by publishing a notice of the change in the existing 
China Shipping and COSCON tariffs. Notice of the Petition appeared in 
the Federal Register on January 27, 2016, 81 FR 4627.
    The Commission granted the Petition by Order on February 29, 2016 
and ordered that the new COSCON tariff remain in effect only until June 
1, 2016 noting that ``most of the relevant service contracts will 
expire on or before April 30, 2016, rendering the new tariffs 
unnecessary after that date.'' On May 13, 2016, COSCON filed a Petition 
for extension of the exemption stating that ``there remains a very 
limited number of shippers (around 30), as to which the discussions 
have taken longer than COSCON anticipated,'' and so requests a 
continuation of the exemption to July 31, 2016.
    The Petition and related documents are posted on the Commission's 
Web site at http://www.fmc.gov/p1-16. Comments filed in response to 
this Petition will be posted on the Commission's Web site at this 
location.
    In order for the Commission to make a thorough evaluation of the 
Petition requesting extension of the exemption, interested persons are 
requested to submit views or arguments in reply to the Petition for 
Extension of Exemption no later than May 27, 2016. Commenters must send 
an original and 5 copies to the Secretary, Federal Maritime Commission, 
800 North Capitol Street NW., Washington, DC 20573-0001, and be served 
on Petitioner's counsel, Robert B. Yoshitomi, or Eric C. Jeffrey, Nixon 
Peabody LLP, 799 9th Street NW., Washington, DC 20001. A PDF copy of 
the reply must also be sent as an attachment to [email protected]. 
Include in the email subject line ``Petition No P1-16.''

Karen V. Gregory,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-12020 Filed 5-20-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6731-AA-P