New Transport Rule Shippers Should Comply with to Get Containers Loaded

A regulation change introduced by the Worldwide Maritime Group (IMO) will take impact this yr that majorly impacts worldwide shippers.

There was an enormous difficulty in containerized transport of misdeclared weights of transport containers. Not solely does this difficulty create issues that embody the lack of containers, however it additionally creates a security danger for ship crews and dockworkers, particularly when container weight is grossly underestimated (however not solely then).

Beginning July 1st, 2016, shippers shall be required to offer a Verified Gross Mass (VGM) for each packed transport container as a situation for vessel loading.

Shippers have to be conscious that they are going to be chargeable for the right verified weighing of their packed transport container and documentation to ensure that their shipments to be loaded onto ships.

This regulation has truly been a very long time coming.

The World Transport Council (WSC), a long-time advocate for fixing the misdeclared weight drawback, outlined the historical past of the IMO regulation to offer VGM on a Container Weight web page of their web site. I’ll abbreviate that into a fast timeline:

December 2010 – The WSC and the Worldwide Chamber of Transport (ICS) difficulty a joint assertion on the issue of misdeclared transport container weight because the business requires a world resolution from the IMO.

March 2011 – The WSC and ICS submit a proposal to the IMO for a packed container weighing regulation as a situation for stowing transport containers aboard ships.

Could 2011 – Settlement reached to determine a piece merchandise to deal with the difficulty of misdeclared container weights at the 89th IMO Maritime Security Committee. Assigned to the IMO Sub-Committee on Harmful Items, Strong Cargoes and Containers (DSC).

September 2011 – DSC considers topic at assembly. WSC, ICS, and BIMCO submit a joint paper recommending the Security of Life At Sea (SOLAS) Conference be amended to require VGM.

June 2012 – Denmark, Netherlands, and United States governments, with 5 maritime business affiliation led by the WSC, co-sponsor a proper proposal to the IMO to amend the SOLAS conference to require VGM as a situation for vessel loading.

September 2012 – DSC considers the proposal and an alternate proposal from Germany. Compromise proposal developed to amend SOLAS Regulation VI/2 of the SOLAS Conference to require VGM as a situation for vessel stowage.

September 2013 – DSC evaluate and amend draft amendments to SOLAS regulation VI/2 referring to obligatory VGM of transport containers.

November 2014 – IMO’s Maritime Security Committee formally approves and adopts the brand new SOLAS requirement that as a situation for vessel loading, the load of a packed export container be verified by the shipper utilizing both of two permissible strategies.

July 2016 – The SOLAS container weight verification requirement enters into power.

Within the timeline, two permissible strategies to adjust to the brand new VGM requirement are talked about.