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Leading global port agency provider Inchcape Shipping Services is moving into the US freight forwarding sector after receiving its Ocean Transportation Intermediary (OTI) licence from the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC).
The FMC licence means Inchcape can operate in the US as an NVOCC (non-vessel operating common carrier), allowing it to issue its own bills of lading, consolidate shipments, and negotiate directly with ocean carriers to secure space and rates for shippers.
“Becoming an FMC-licenced NVOCC is a major milestone for Inchcape, and for the customers we serve,” said Irem Gokmen, regional CEO Americas.
“This licence reflects our commitment to operating at the highest standards of compliance, transparency, and service. We can give shippers more control, more flexibility, and more competitive options for moving cargo to and from the United States,” she added.
In the initial phase, Inchape will offer both full- and less-than-container load shipments to shippers as well as other forwarders.
Securing the OTI licence, which is mandatory for issuing bills of lading, involves a process that requires applicants to demonstrate financial responsibility, regulatory knowledge, and operational readiness.
It is not the first time Inchcape has flirted with the freight forwarding sector: in 2018, it was acquired by the Dubai government, which launched ISS Global Forwarding out of it.
However, its ownership was transferred again when it was bought by UK private equity platform Epiris in 2022, and the CEO at that time, Frank Olsen, said: “Inchcape can now move forward with deployment of capital to realise its strategic goal to become an aggregated platform in the maritime services industry and thereby accelerate realisation of benefits for our customers.”
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