Settlement of US-Japan port spat a relief to shippers and carriers

Maritime Administrator Albert Herberger has ordered the US Federal Maritime Commission to suspend its planned $100,000 retaliatory fine to be imposed on Japanese carriers entering a US port. The suspension is in recognition of the on-going negotiation between the US and Japan on Japanese port administration and port policies. The fines were supposed to be a retaliatory move on the part of the US in protest of Japan's restrictive terminal operations practices. The negotiation hopes to make Japan reform its port policies to enable carriers to operate their own terminals in Japanese ports.