SOLAS and VGM Updates
Noatum Logistics Verified Gross Mass (VGM) Certification Documents
- Noatum Logistics Verified Gross Mass (VGM) Certification – Spanish Version and Chinese Version
- Noatum Logistics Verified Gross Mass (VGM) Certification Form – Spanish Version and Chinese Version
- Noatum Logistics Shipper’s Letter of Instruction
- Acknowledgement of Noatum Logistics Amended Terms and Conditions Service
Container Weight Verification Rule
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted a new requirement under the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Chapter VI, Part A, Regulation 2, which went into effect on July 1, 2016. This new container weight verification rule will impact shippers from 171 countries due to the added requirements of necessary documentation. This amendment to SOLAS states that the shipper is responsible in providing the container’s gross verified weight to the ocean carrier and port terminal representative prior to the container being loaded on a ship; regardless of who packed the container.
According to the World Shipping Council, “a verified container weight is a condition for loading a packed container aboard a vessel for export. The vessel operator and the terminal operator are required to use verified container weights in vessel stowage plans and are prohibited from loading a packed container aboard a vessel for export if the container does not have a verified container weight.”
This means that containers cannot be loaded onto any ship subject to the SOLAS regulations unless the vessel master and the terminal operator have obtained verified gross weight of the container in advance of loading.
Below you will find key information regarding this pending new law.
Key Information
Understanding the new Container Weight Verification Rule and the recommended methods for determining weight of your packed container:
- What is SOLAS? The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is an international maritime safety treaty. It ensures that ships flagged by signatory States comply with the minimum safety standards in construction, equipment and operation. The SOLAS Convention in its successive forms is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships.
- When does the new weight verification rule become effective? July 1st 2016
- How does the shipper determine the verified gross weight of the packed container? The shipper (named on the carrier’s bill of lading) may use one of the two methods according to the World Shipping Council to determine the verified weight of the packed container:
- Method 1: Upon the conclusion of packing and sealing a container and using calibrated and certified equipment, the shipper may weigh, or have arranged that a third party weigh, the packed container. SOLAS Regulation, paragraph 4.1; IMO Guidelines, paragraph 5.1.1 The scale, weighbridge, lifting equipment or other devices used to verify the gross mass of the container must meet the applicable accuracy standards and requirements of the State in which the equipment is being used. IMO Guidelines, paragraph 7.1.
- Method 2: The shipper (or, by arrangement of the shipper, a third party) may weigh all packages and cargo items, including the mass of pallets, dunnage and other packing and securing material to be packed in the container, and add the tare mass of the container to the sum of the single masses of the container’s contents. IMO Guidelines, paragraph 5.1.2.
- The weighing equipment used to weigh the contents of the container must meet the applicable accuracy standards and requirements of the State in which the equipment is being used. IMO Guidelines, paragraph 7.1.
- The tare mass of the particular container is visible on the exterior of the container and should be used. IMO Guidelines, paragraph 12:1.
- Estimating the weight of the container’s contents is not permitted.
Sources
- A New Regulation For a Safer Supply Chain – MSC
- OCEMA VGM Process Map – OCEMA
- Carriers Release Best Practices for the new SOLAS VGM Rules – GKG 03/21/16
- OCEMA Adopts VGM Best Practice & VGM Process Map – OCEMA 03/21/16
- OCEMA Recommended Best Practice for the Acceptance and Transmission of VGM – OCEMA – 03/21/16
- Letter from The Port of Virginia – The Port of Virginia
- Regional Implementation Information – World Shipping Council
- FIATA Calls for better communication for shipping lines on container weighing – FIATA – Feb 23, 2016
- A Summary of the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) “Verified Gross Weight” Rule – NCBFAA Educational Institute – Feb 17, 2016
- Verified Gross Mass Industry FAQs – World Shipping Council & TT Club
- Verification of Container Weights: Background and New Operational Reality – World Shipping Council
- Container Weighing – TT Club (Countdown to Container Weight Verification Rule)
- “Broad Industry Coalition Offers Clarity on New Container Weighing Regulations” – World Shipping Council – Dec 09, 2015
- SOLAS Amendments to make IGF Code mandatory approved by Maritime Safety Committee – International Maritime Organization – Nov 26, 2015
- Guidelines for Improving Safety and Implementing the SOLAS Container Weight Verification Requirements – World Shipping Council – Jul 01, 2015
- IMO Requirement For Container Weight Verification – World Shipping Council – Jun 09, 2015
Carrier Updates
- Cosco A.P.B. SOLAS Verified Gross Mass VGM Policy Update – Cosco – 08/25/16
- Manual Verified Gross Mass (VGM) Transmission Fee” (EGVL-601 Rule Filing Confirmation” – Evergreen – 08/15/16
- A New Regulation For a Safer Supply Chain – MSC – 08/15/16
- VGM Monitoring Via Our Website – Hapag Lloyd – 07/22/16
- USA Terminal – Verified Gross Mass (VGM) SOLAS Regulation – Hapag Lloyd – 07/28/16
- Customer Advisory# 76-070116 – CMA CGM – 07/01/16
- SOLAS FAQ – CMA CGM – 07/01/16
- COSCO A.P.B.: Tariff 201/101/103/106/108/205/110/112 Verified Gross Mass (VGM) Under Solas Rule/ Tariff 101/103/110/112 Diversion of Cargo Rule Increase – COSCO – 07/01/16
- Customer Advisory: SOLAS VGM Advisory – OOCL – 07/01/16
- SOLAS Verified Gross Mass (VGM) Policy Update – COSCO – 07/01/16
- Leverage on APL Tools and Resources to Comply with SOLAS VGM Regulation – APL – 07/01/16
- EGA VGM Advisory for on terminal scale weight and IPI on dock shipment – Evergreen – 06/30/16
- Customer Advisory: Important Information on VGM for U.S. Exports – CCNI – 06/29/16
- VGM Verified Gross Mass Customer Update – ZIM – 06/28/16
- VGM by ports revision – Customer Advisory – ZIM – 06/28/16
- Service Announcement SOLAS / VGM Policy Update – USL – 06/29/16
- Customer Advisory: Important Information on VGM for U.S. Exports – Hamburg Sud – 06/29/16
- Customer Advisory: SOLAS VGM Policy Update – CMA – 06/30/16
- A New Regulation for a Safer Supply Chain – Verified Gross Mass Effective from 1st July 2016 – MSC – 06/30/16
- ACL-SOLAS/VGM Procedures – ACL – 06/30/16
- Verified Gross Mass Under SOLAS – Evergreen 06/30/16
- USA Terminals Verified Gross Mass (VGM) – SOLAS Regulation – Hapag Lloyd – 06/29/16
- Update for Customer Information Required for Container Weight Verification VGM/SOLAS Amendment – COSCO -06/28/16
- IMO-SOLAS Regulation Loaded Container Verified Gross Mass (VGM) – NYK – 06/28/16
- Manual Verified Gross Mass (VGM) Transmission Fee Effective July 23, 2016 – EMC – 06/27/16
- General Rules Tariffs for all Trade Rules + BL + Equipment -Verified Gross Mass Under SOLAS Rule Effective July 1st – EMC – 06/27/16
- Customer Advisory – OOCL – 06/27/16
- Customer Advisory – VGM Surcharges – UASC – 06/22/16
- Customer Advisory – Verified Gross Mass Fee Effective July 14th – CMA/CGM 06/23/16
- Customer Advisory – SOLAS Safety of Life At Sea Update – 06/21/16
- Customer Advisory and eComm Instructions – NYK – 06/20/16
- VGM Web-portal User Guide (English) and VGM Web-portal User Guide (Spanish) and VGM Overview (Spanish) – CCNI – 6/17/16
- (RVS) EGLV-601 Rule filing Confirmation-Rule: 002-C15 Verified Gross Mass Under SOLAS Rule – Evergreen – 06/17/16
- VGM User Guide and EDI Application and VGM Operational Guide– COSCO – 6/16/16
- Website Instructions and Declaration Form and Email Addresses – Yang Ming – 06/16/16
- Shipco SOLAS VGM Update – Surcharges – Shipco – 6/16/16
- Evergreen Line announces new website for VGM processing found at shipmentlink.com – Evergreen – 06/14/16
- Customer Update: Verified Gross Mass (VGM) – Hapag-Lloyd – 06/10/16
- “We Are Ready” – VGM Customer Notification – Hamburg Sud – 06/2016
- IMO-SOLAS Regulation Loaded Container Verified Gross Mass (VGM) – NYK – 06/03/16
- ECU Worldwide: VGM Regulations Under the SOLAS Convention – ECU Worldwide – 06/02/16
- SOLAS Update – Vanguard Logistics Services – 06/01/16
- USA – New Local Service Fee – VGM Manual Transmission Fee – Hapag-Lloyd – 05/31/16
- SOLAS – Safety of Life at Sea – ECU – 05/25/16
- Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Verified Gross Mass (VGM) Frequently Asked Questions – OOCL – 05/25/16
- North America Operations Update – OOCL – 05/23/16
- ANL Notice to Customers – Safety of Life at Sea SOLAS / Verified Gross Mass (VGM) – USL-ANL -05/20/16
- OOCL Provides VGM Updates Submission Preparation and Methods – OOCL – 05/20/16
- Frequent Questions and Answers for Implementation of SOLAS May 2016 – Yang Ming – 05/17/16
- COSCO APB New SOLAS Container Weighing Requirements in Tariff – COSCO – 05/17/16
- New OCEMA Tariff Rule to Address Shipper Concerns Regarding Certifying Container Tare Weights – OCEMA – 05/12/16
- Verified Gross Mass (VGM) SOLAS Regulation – Hapag Lloyd – 05/10/16
- Valid from July 2016 Verified Gross Mass (VGM) – Hapag Lloyd – 05/10/16
- Verified Gross Mass VGM – OOCL
Industry Articles / Press Releases
- West Coast MTO Agreement Releases Statement on VGM Weighing Procedures – Logistics Management – Apr 04, 2016
- New Shipping Container Rule Riles Exporters – The Wall Street Journal – Dec 04, 2015
- INTTRA Confronts new challenge posed by SOLAS regulations – Dec 02, 2015
- Container weight rules may cause problems for years – Allport Cargo Services – Nov 04, 2015
Noatum Logistics Alerts and Updates
- Formato VGM – Definiciones – Jun 20, 2016
- Verified Gross Mass (VGM) Certification Effective July 1 – Jun 03, 2016
- Nueva Disposicion De Verification Obligatoria De Peso Para Contenedores – Mar 07, 2016
- New Container Weight Verification Mandate – Mar 01, 2016
- Container Weight Verification Rule – Dec 14, 2015