[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 99 (Monday, May 23, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 32328]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[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