46 C.F.R. § 515.31 General duties.
Title 46 - Shipping
(a) License; name and number. Each licensee shall carry on its business only under the name in which its license is issued and only under its license number as assigned by the Commission. When the licensee's name appears on shipping documents, its Commission license number shall also be included. (b) Stationery and billing forms. The name and license number of each licensee shall be permanently imprinted on the licensee's office stationery and billing forms. The Commission may temporarily waive this requirement for good cause shown if the licensee rubber stamps or types its name and Commission license number on all papers and invoices concerned with any ocean transportation intermediary transaction. (c) Use of license by others; prohibition. No licensee shall permit its license or name to be used by any person who is not a bona fide individual employee of the licensee. Unincorporated branch offices of the licensee may use the license number and name of the licensee if such branch offices: (1) have been reported to the Commission in writing; and (2) are covered by increased financial responsibility in accordance with §515.21(a)(4). (d) Arrangements with ocean transportation intermediaries whose licenses have been revoked. Unless prior written approval from the Commission has been obtained, no licensee shall, directly or indirectly: (1) Agree to perform ocean transportation intermediary services on shipments as an associate, correspondent, officer, employee, agent, or sub-agent of any person whose license has been revoked or suspended pursuant to §515.16; (2) Assist in the furtherance of any ocean transportation intermediary business of such person; (3) Share forwarding fees or freight compensation with any such person; or (4) Permit any such person, directly or indirectly, to participate, through ownership or otherwise, in the control or direction of the ocean transportation intermediary business of the licensee. (e) False or fraudulent claims, false information. No licensee shall prepare or file or assist in the preparation or filing of any claim, affidavit, letter of indemnity, or other paper or document concerning an ocean transportation intermediary transaction which it has reason to believe is false or fraudulent, nor shall any such licensee knowingly impart to a principal, shipper, common carrier or other person, false information relative to any ocean transportation intermediary transaction. (f) Errors and omissions of the principal or shipper. A licensee who has reason to believe that its principal or shipper has not, with respect to a shipment to be handled by such licensee, complied with the laws of the United States, or has made any error or misrepresentation in, or omission from, any export declaration, bill of lading, affidavit, or other document which the principal or shipper executes in connection with such shipment, shall advise its principal or shipper promptly of the suspected noncompliance, error, misrepresentation or omission, and shall decline to participate in any transaction involving such document until the matter is properly and lawfully resolved. (g) Response to requests of Commission. Upon the request of any authorized representative of the Commission, a licensee shall make available promptly for inspection or reproduction all records and books of account in connection with its ocean transportation intermediary business, and shall respond promptly to any lawful inquiries by such representative. (h) Express written authority. No licensee shall endorse or negotiate any draft, check, or warrant drawn to the order of its principal or shipper without the express written authority of such principal or shipper. (i) Accounting to principal or shipper. Each licensee shall account to its principal(s) or shipper(s) for overpayments, adjustments of charges, reductions in rates, insurance refunds, insurance monies received for claims, proceeds of C.O.D. shipments, drafts, letters of credit, and any other sums due such principal(s) or shipper(s).
Title 46: Shipping
PART 515—LICENSING, FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, AND GENERAL DUTIES FOR OCEAN TRANSPORTATION INTERMEDIARIES
Subpart D—Duties and Responsibilities of Ocean Transportation Intermediaries; Reports to Commission
§ 515.31 General duties.
