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House Passage of Ocean Shipping Reform Act

WASHINGTON – The National Retail Federation today issued the following statement from Senior Vice President of Government Relations David French after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA) of 2021. The bipartisan legislation, sponsored by Congressmen John Garamendi (D-CA) and Dusty Johnson (R-SD), would provide critical updates to the international maritime transportation system, which has been severely impacted by COVID-19.

“The Shipping Act has remained unchanged for nearly 20 years, as the global supply chain has continued to grow and evolve to meet increased consumer demand. This bipartisan legislation provides much-needed updates and reform to an archaic system that retailers and thousands of other businesses depend on each day to transport goods.

“These improvements could not come at a more critical time, as the amplification from the pandemic has been severe. We thank Reps. Garamendi and Johnson for their leadership and the House for their swift vote to approve this measure. We encourage the Senate to follow suit.”

The House passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act is the final piece of NRF’s “Save Our Shipments” grassroots campaign. The targeted advocacy effort focuses on legislative solutions to address the retail industry’s supply chain challenges, including passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and adding more truck drivers to the workforce.

Earlier this week, NRF sent a key vote letter to the House, urging members to approve the bill.

In September, NRF helped to spearhead a coalition of more than 152 supply chain stakeholders to endorse the bill.

About NRF
The National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail trade association, passionately advocates for the people, brands, policies and ideas that help retail thrive. From its headquarters in Washington, D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, contributing $3.9 trillion to annual GDP and supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 52 million working Americans. For over a century, NRF has been a voice for every retailer and every retail job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact retail has on local communities and global economies. nrf.com

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