President Donald J. Trump has appointed Louis E. “Lou” Sola as Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC).
This designation was made on 20 January 2025. Chairman Sola has been a Commissioner of the FMC since January 2019, and he succeeds Daniel B. Maffei as chairman.
The Chairman serves as the Commission’s main executive and administrative officer.
Chairman Sola said: “I am humbled by President Trump designating me Chairman and I am grateful for his confidence in my ability to lead the Federal Maritime Commission. There are many ways the Commission contributes to the competitiveness of American businesses, access to foreign markets for US vessels and companies, and economic growth for the Nation.
“We will continue that important work while looking for more instances where applying the authorities of the Commission helps US companies and consumers.”
READ: Trump’s tariff proposals set to impact shipping demand in 2025
Chairman Sola had a career as a soldier, entrepreneur, and public servant before he joined the Commission.
He worked in the United States Army for 12 years, specialising in counterintelligence. Following his military service, he worked in consulting before founding a firm that specialises in yacht and megayacht sales.
Before joining the Federal Maritime Commission, Chairman Sola was a member of the Florida Board of Pilot Commissioners.
READ: FMC requests further information regarding Gemini Agreement
Chairman Sola stated: “I appreciate all the good work my colleague Daniel Maffei accomplished during his tenure as Chairman. I enjoyed having the opportunity to work with him and appreciate that he gave individual Commissioners the freedom to work on issues where their strengths and experiences were most applicable.”
Chairman Sola was initially nominated to the Federal Maritime Commission by President Trump on 15 November 2018, and approved by the United States Senate on 2 January 2019.
In December 2024, FMC announced that a global operating partnership of three container shipping corporations will not take effect next week.