Supply Chain Advocacy: Ocean Shipping Reform Act Passes U.S. Senate

April 4, 2022 | The Toy Association commends the U.S. Senate for its unanimous passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, which aims to address the enduring systemic issues impacting supply chains and ports. A similar version of the bill cleared the U.S. House of Representatives in December.

"The Toy Association has been a direct and vocal supporter of this bill since its introduction while the bipartisan support we are seeing emphasizes that the supply chain crisis is an agreed-upon issue damaging every sector of American business,” said Steve Pasierb, president & CEO at The Toy Association. “Senate passage now turns attention to quickly reconciling differences with the House version and securing President Biden's signature. By enacting this first round of essential actions seeking to rein in runaway costs and unjustifiable fees, there is hope yet more to do to address the challenges and disruptions that continue to plague our member companies from the oceans to ports to retail shelves."

Since the bill was first introduced, The Toy Association and its fellow trade associations across a breadth of consumer products and retail have tirelessly engaged lawmakers on the damage the shipping crisis has caused American businesses and consumers alike, including, most recently, rising inflation. The Association submitted a letter of support for the Ocean Shipping Reform Act upon its introduction, urged intervention by the U.S. government and Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to implement solutions, and actively communicated with ports and fellow toy associations around the world.

In addition, when bottlenecks threatened the 2021 holiday shopping season, The Toy Association lent its support to members by spearheading a campaign that encouraged shoppers to #shopearly4toys and by offering exclusive webinars that connected members with the FMC and the Port of Los Angeles.

As the shipping crisis and pandemic-related disruptions are not expected to clear overnight with this bill’s passage, members are encouraged to bookmark The Toy Association’s Shipping Crisis Resource Center for the latest developments. Members seeking additional information and assistance may contact Ed Desmond, executive vice president of external affairs at The Toy Association.