CORUSCANT — Senators from the Outer Rim, Mid Rim, and frontier sectors called this week for stronger protections for independent freight carriers during a Senate discussion on civilian starport safety and commercial access.

The debate centered on the increasing burden placed upon smaller carriers by insurance costs, cargo-verification requirements, and delays associated with piracy and criminal interference. Several speakers warned that legitimate commerce suffers when independent operators lack the resources to navigate disruptions that larger concerns can more readily absorb.

Proposals raised during the session included clearer intersector reporting standards for cargo theft, improved coordination between local port authorities and Imperial customs officers, and emergency assistance for carriers stranded by verified criminal activity.

“A lawful merchant carrying medicine, food, machinery, or passengers should not be forced from the lanes because criminals have made ordinary commerce too dangerous,” one senator said during the proceedings.

No measure has yet been brought to a final vote. Senate officials stated that the discussion would continue as relevant ministries provide recommendations.

The debate follows heightened attention to freight irregularities in the Kessel Sector, though speakers emphasized that the problem is not limited to any one region of the Empire.