The Federal Maritime Commission is authorised to take unilateral  action when  a  foreign  government,  foreign  carrier  or  other  persons  providing  maritime-related services engages in activity that adversely affect US carriers in US ocean-borne trade; creates  conditions unfavourable to shipping in the foreign trade; or unduly impairs access by US-flag vessels to trade between foreign ports.
"§42302. Investigations
(a) In General.—The Federal Maritime Commission shall investigate whether any laws, rules, regulations, policies, or practices of a foreign government, or any practices of a foreign carrier or other person providing maritime or maritime-related services in a foreign country, result in the existence of conditions that—
(1) adversely affect the operations of United States carriers in United States oceanborne trade; and
(2) do not exist for foreign carriers of that country in the United States under the laws of the United States or as a result of acts of United States carriers or other persons providing maritime or maritime-related services in the United States.
[...]
§42304. Action against foreign carriers
(a) In General.—Subject to section 42306 of this title, whenever the Federal Maritime Commission, after notice and opportunity for comment or hearing, determines that the conditions specified in section 42302(a) of this title exist, the Commission shall take such action to offset those conditions as it considers necessary and appropriate against any foreign carrier that is a contributing cause, or whose government is a contributing cause, to those conditions. The action may include—
(1) limitations on voyages to and from United States ports or on the amount or type of cargo carried;
(2) suspension, in whole or in part, of any or all tariffs and service contracts, including an ocean common carrier's right to use any or all tariffs and service contracts of conferences in United States trades of which it is a member for any period the Commission specifies;
(3) suspension, in whole or in part, of an ocean common carrier's right to operate under any agreement filed with the Commission, including any agreement authorizing preferential treatment at terminals, preferential terminal leases, space chartering, or pooling of cargo or revenue with other ocean common carriers; and
(4) a fee not to exceed $1,000,000 per voyage.
[...]
§42305. Refusal of clearance and entry
Subject to section 42306 of this title, whenever the Federal Maritime Commission determines that the conditions specified in section 42302(a) of this title exist, then at the request of the Commission—
(1) the Secretary of Homeland Security shall refuse the clearance required by section 60105 of this title to a vessel of a foreign carrier that is identified by the Commission under section 42304 of this title; and
(2) the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall—
(A) deny entry, for purposes of oceanborne trade, of a vessel of a foreign carrier that is identified by the Commission under section 42304 of this title, to a port or place in the United States or the navigable waters of the United States; or
(B) detain the vessel at the port or place in the United States from which it is about to depart for another port or place in the United States.[...]" (Shipping Code (46 U.S.C. current through Pub. L. 117-49), §§ 42302, 42304 and 42305)
Shipping Code (46 U.S.C. current through Pub. L. 117-49), §§ 42302, 42304 and 42305
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