COSCO comes out slugging at FMC. (China Ocean Shipping Company warns Federal Maritime Commission to stop investigating its marine practices)

COSCO Comes Out Slugging At FMC

PRC carrier calls on FMC to halt proceedings or face court challenge; claims a long list of U.S. discriminatory laws.

China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), is telling the FMC to call off an investigation aimed at the People's Republic of China or face a court battle.

At issue is the Federal Maritime Commission's investigation of alleged unfair maritime practices as defined in the 1988 Foreign Shipping Practices Act.

COSCO, the PRC-owned carrier, decided to fight back with a long litany of charges ranging from claims that the FMC probe violates the spirit of the bilateral maritime agreement in force between the U.S. and the PRC to bias against the PRC within the FMC itself.

The bilateral maritime agreement was signed less than four months after the FSPA, indicating that the new law which the FMC has constantly cited "was fresh on the minds of the (maritime agreement) negotiators," COSCO said. The updated …