In a move to speed up and make more efficient the nation’s supply chain, the Department of Transportation has announced new regulations designed to harmonize U.S. shipping laws with international standards.
The regulations are coming out of the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, with the stated goal of streamlining the importation of any number of hazardous materials.
Those materials include components used in manufacturing, lithium batteries, and medical supplies.
In a statement, Tristan Brown, PHMSA Deputy Administrator, said the new regulations will “improve supply chains, reduce prices for consumers, and produce environmental benefits without sacrificing safety.”
Transportation Department Officials say that because the new rules will result in the transport of more goods in fewer trips they will also reduce green house gas emissions.
The harmonization regulations have been under review in Washington since last summer and were open to public comment for a period of 60 days after their original publication in the Federal Register.
By Garry Boulard
