EFFECTIVE July 2016, shippers worldwide must provide a verified weights for laden containers before loading, warned the World Shipping Council (WSC), whose members represent owners of 90 per cent of the world's shipping.
"All parties should use the next 12 months to plan for the efficient and effective implementation of this requirement," the WSC said.
"The regulations place a requirement on the shipper of a packed container, regardless of who packed the container, to provide the container's gross verified weight to the ocean carrier and port terminal representative sufficiently in advance of vessel loading to be used in the preparation of the ship stowage plan," said the WSC statement.
Ship managers and terminal operators are prohibited from loading a packed container aboard a vessel for export if the container does not have a verified container weight and must use verified weights in their vessel stowage plans.
The UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO) approved the guidelines last year, after container lines, port labour and terminal operators were convinced mandatory container weighing is needed, said Newark's Journal of Commerce.
Overweight containers allegedly played a role in the breakup and subsequent beaching of the MSC Napoli in the English Channel in 2007.
Asian and European shippers disagreed, arguing it would add costs, cause bottlenecks and slow the flow.
Supporters of the IMO rule countered that critics exaggerated the impact and the costs of implementation.
CONTAINER
08 July 2015 - 21:37
Within a year, UN rules dictate box weights must be verified: WSC
EFFECTIVE July 2016, shippers worldwide must provide a verified weights for laden containers before loading, warned the World Shipping Council (WSC), whose members represent owners of 90 per cent of the world's shipping.
CONTAINER
08 July 2015 - 21:37
Within a year, UN rules dictate box weights must be verified: WSC
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