Shipping Crisis Priority Legislation, Ocean Shipping Reform Act, Passes U.S. House

December 14, 2021 | The Toy Association applauds the passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021, a first step in tackling a range of long-term systemic issues plaguing supply chains and ports.

"Reform and action have been our constant refrain since The Toy Association’s board executive committee met with Federal Maritime Commission leadership earlier this year and our team reached out to every office of Congress with a plea for help,” said Steve Pasierb, president & CEO at The Toy Association. “We are pleased to see Congress following through on this legislation while our member companies continue to suffer pandemic-related disruptions clogging ports and holding up products from reaching retailers during our industry's most critical selling season."

Clearing the House on a vote of 364-60, passage comes as a direct result of the ongoing collaborative advocacy work of The Toy Association and its fellow trade associations across a range of consumer products and retail in engaging lawmakers on the negative impacts to consumers and the business community while keeping the topic front of mind for the public.

The Association has remained proactive on the issue, joining a coalition of trade associations in submitting a letter of support for the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021 upon its introduction, urging intervention by the U.S. government and Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to implement solutions, and maintaining active communications with ports and fellow toy associations around the world. In addition, the Association has strived to support its members through the crisis with an active campaign encouraging shoppers to #shopearly4toys and hosting exclusive webinars that offered direct lines of communication to the FMC and the Port of Los Angeles.

With the shipping crisis and pandemic-related disruptions expected to continue well into 2022, members are encouraged to bookmark The Toy Association’s Shipping Crisis Resource Center for the latest developments on this ongoing crisis. Members seeking additional information and assistance may contact Ed Desmond, executive vice president of external affairs at The Toy Association.