Exclusive appearance on The Freight Buyers’ Club podcast reveals aggressive new approach to protecting U.S. shippers and investigating foreign trade barriers
London, February 11, 2026
Newly appointed Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) Chair Laura DiBella has outlined a fundamental shift in the agency’s mission, describing the FMC as evolving into a “consumer protection agency” with expanded authority to investigate and penalize foreign governments that disrupt American commerce.
In an exclusive interview with The Freight Buyers’ Club podcast, DiBella, who was designated as FMC Chair by President Trump on January 28, 2026, acknowledged the Commission is operating under the president’s directive to resurrect U.S. dominance in the maritime arena, creating urgency for policy action.
“Let’s face it, we only have three more years with this president, so we need to hurry,” she told host Mike King. “Things don’t happen quickly in our world, and we need to hurry and get the United States at the forefront. Get the attention that they need and get American cargo where it needs to be as quickly as possible.”
From Reactive to Proactive
DiBella signalled that the FMC is abandoning its traditional reactive posture in favour of proactive investigations into global supply chain threats.
“A big difference from maybe past to present is the more proactive stance rather than the reactive stance that the FMC has had,” DiBella explained. “How can we help moving forward? Not how can we look behind us and say, oh, well that shouldn’t have happened.”
The FMC is now investigating global maritime chokepoints including the Suez Canal and Malacca Strait, shadow fleet operations using flags of convenience, and foreign policy barriers that restrict access to U.S. cargo.
Global Enforcement Authority
When asked what shippers should expect when foreign policies disrupt American commerce, DiBella was unequivocal: “Action. Always action.”
The Chair confirmed the FMC has authority to impose penalties, sanctions, and even deny port access to foreign vessels when overseas governments are found to have unfairly blocked American cargo. She cited ongoing investigations where such remedies are under consideration, though declined to specify outcomes before investigations conclude.
“Our charter is so broad, it allows us to do so much, and I think we’ve only scratched the surface of what we can actually do,” DiBella said.
Consumer Protection Focus
DiBella repositioned the FMC’s enforcement philosophy around protecting shippers rather than simply penalizing bad actors.
“We don’t want to penalize people constantly. It’s not our job to penalize people. What we want to do is shape policy through enforcement,” she said. “If we can address an issue before it gets too far, before it becomes too egregious, we provide the arena for that complaint to be addressed and hopefully remedied before it gets to a nuclear point.”
Domestic Bottlenecks Also Under Scrutiny
Beyond international enforcement, DiBella revealed growing concern about U.S. domestic supply chain friction, particularly in the interior of the country where container, rail, and chassis shortages are creating chokepoints for inland freight movement.
“An area of concern that has come to me just in this past month is largely has to do with the interior. So Middle America is experiencing issues with containers, they have their own choke points as it relates to rail and containers and chassis and so on and so forth,” she said.
Recent severe weather events “exposed many of the Achilles heels that still exist in Middle America and not the coast.”
She added: “When you’re talking about a slowdown, that I think will only make that problem more acute because the containers are definitely not going to get to the interior.”
Call to Action for Shippers
DiBella urged freight buyers experiencing repeated bottlenecks, denied access, or service failures to document issues and contact the FMC early, rather than waiting for problems to escalate.
“I want open dialogue for shippers that are experiencing any issues, good or bad, to communicate with us. It only helps us do our job better,” she said. “I don’t think it’s ever too early to start communicating with us if there’s something that they’ve identified that could harm what they’re trying to do.”
The full interview with Chair DiBella appears in The Freight Buyers’ Club‘s TPM 2026 preview episode, which also features insights from:
• Lori Fellmer, VP Logistics and Carrier Management, BassTech International
• Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor, Journal of Commerce
Topics covered include the 2026 Transpacific contracting outlook, Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern rail merger implications, Ocean Shipping Reform Act enforcement, and supply chain planning under continued geopolitical volatility.
