The International Maritime Organization (IMO’s) Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) amendment came into force almost three months ago, yet concerns still remain regarding IT issues holdouts and the accuracy of the verified gross mass that has been declared for shipping containers, despite 95% of containers being declared, according to JOC.com.
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Peregrine Storrs-Fox, Risk Management Director at TT Club, said: “This high degree of awareness of VGM requirements and the outward signs of compliance are indeed encouraging. However it remains to be seen whether the declared VGMs are accurate, representing the result of an actual weighing process, regardless which of the two permissible methods is adopted.
“While it is positive that shippers recognise the difference between bill of lading or customs declarations weights and VGM, it is insufficient just to add the container mass. The industry needs the comfort of authenticated VGMs comparing the actual mass of packed containers obtained by check-weighing in order to have a true picture of compliance.”
PTI’s most recent news update found that Hyundai Merchant Marine had adopted e-shipping company INTTRA’s e-solution for weighing containers.
Prior to this were concerns that carriers and freight forwarders were using VGM declarations as a way to increase revenue.
