(a) A petition for investigation to determine the existence of adverse conditions as described in §555.3 may be submitted by any person, including any common carrier, shipper, shippers' association, ocean freight forwarder, or marine terminal operator, or any branch, department, agency, or other component of the Government of the United States. Petitions for relief under this part shall be in writing, and filed in the form of an original and fifteen copies with the Secretary, Federal Maritime Commission, Washington, DC 20573. The petition must be accompanied by remittance of a $306 filing fee.

(b) Petitions shall set forth the following:

(1) The name and address of the petitioner;

(2) The name and address of each party (foreign government, agency or instrumentality thereof, carrier, or other person) against whom the petition is made, a statement as to whether the party is a foreign government, agency or instrumentality thereof, and a brief statement describing the party's function, business or operation;

(3) The name and address of each United States carrier alleged to be adversely affected, and a description, and if possible, documentation, of why each is considered by petitioner to be a United States carrier;

(4) A precise description and, if applicable, citation of any law, rule, regulation, policy or practice of a foreign government or practice of a foreign carrier or other person causing the conditions complained of;

(5) A certified copy of any law, rule, regulation or other document involved and, if not in English, a certified English translation thereof;

(6) Any other evidence of the existence of such laws and practices, evidence of the alleged adverse effects on the operations of United States carriers in United States oceanborne trade, and evidence that foreign carriers of the country involved are not subjected to similar adverse conditions in the United States.

(7) With respect to the harm already caused, or which may reasonably be expected to be caused, the following information, if available to petitioner:

(i) Statistical data documenting present or prospective cargo loss by United States carriers due to foreign government or commercial practices for a representative period, if harm is alleged on that basis, and the sources of the statistical data;

(ii) Statistical data or other information documenting the impact of the foreign government or commercial practices causing the conditions complained of, and the sources of those data; and

(iii) A statement as to why the period used is representative.

(8) A separate memorandum of law or a discussion of the relevant legal issues; and

(9) A recommended action, including any of those enumerated in §555.8, the result of which will, in the view of the petitioner, address the conditions complained of.

(c) A petition which the Commission determines fails to comply substantially with the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section shall be rejected promptly and the person filing the petition shall be notified of the reasons for such rejection. Rejection is without prejudice to the filing of an amended petition.

[54 FR 11533, Mar. 21, 1989, as amended at 63 FR 50537, Sept. 22, 1998; 64 FR 8010, Feb. 18, 1999; 64 FR 23551, May 3, 1999; 67 FR 39861, June 11, 2002; 70 FR 10331, Mar. 3, 2005; 81 FR 59145, Aug. 29, 2016; 83 FR 50295, Oct. 5, 2018; 85 FR 72579, Nov. 13, 2020]