Dear Customers,
In November 2014, the International Maritime Organization adopted an amendment to the Safety of Life at Sea convention (SOLAS) regarding mandatory container weight verification. The amendment applies to all member states who will, in turn, adopt it into their own national law. Each country will provide its own guidelines for the implementation.
From the 1st July 2016, shippers will be required to provide the Verified Gross Mass (VGM) of each shipment to their ocean carrier and the terminal operator. It remains the shippers’ responsibility to obtain and provide the VGM in accordance with local government guidelines and before the carrier’s cut off.
All the necessary procedures and requirements for VGM/SOLAS are explained in the attachment below.
The SOLAS convention shall come into effect from the 1st July 2016. This will require the shipper, whose name appears on the Bill of Lading, to verify the gross mass of all containers before they are shipped at the terminal.
Whilst we hope that the SOLAS requirements are clear, please do not hesitate to contact us should you require any further clarification or assistance.
Regards,
John Ripard & Son (Shipping)
