Recently, U.S. discount retail giant Dollar General filed a lawsuit that has placed Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation under intense public scrutiny — the Taiwanese shipping company is being sued for $14.7 million for allegedly failing to meet its Minimum Quantity Commitment (MQC). This case marks the second-largest individual claim accepted by the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) since the enactment of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA) and sheds light on long-standing issues surrounding capacity allocation in the shipping industry.

According to documents submitted by Dollar General to the FMC, the one-year service contract signed with Yang Ming stipulated that the carrier must provide at least 130% of weekly space capacity, with a total volume commitment of 2,226 FEUs (forty-foot equivalent units). However, Yang Ming only delivered 616 FEUs, resulting in a shortfall of 1,610 FEUs and a fulfillment rate of just 27.7%. Adding to the controversy, a Yang Ming representative in the U.S. reportedly admitted to Dollar General management: “Due to poor decisions made by our headquarters, there simply wasn’t enough space. There’s nothing we can do.”

As a result of Yang Ming’s failure to honor the agreement, Dollar General was forced to either purchase cargo space at significantly higher spot market rates or forego shipments altogether. During the 2021–2022 period, transpacific freight rates soared, with spot prices reaching 3–5 times the contracted rates. Some goods missed peak sales seasons due to shipping delays, leading to direct losses in inventory value.

Dollar General has calculated its losses — including freight rate differences, storage costs, and lost sales — at $14.77 million, and is seeking $14.7 million in compensation through the lawsuit.

This claim ranks second in size among all FMC-accepted cases since OSRA’s implementation, trailing only a $32 million claim filed by 3B Furniture against OOCL (Orient Overseas Container Line) in 2022.

According to FMC data, of the roughly 50 shipping dispute cases filed between 2022 and 2025, about 60% involve capacity breach claims, with total claims exceeding $100 million — underscoring the severity of compliance issues across the maritime shipping sector.