Ocean Shippers Urge IMO to Establish Rules Against Overweight Containers
The World Shipping Council (WSC) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) have issued a statement entitled “Solving the Problem of Overweight Containers," which urges the International Maritime Organization to establish an international legal requirement that all loaded containers be weighed at the marine port facility before they are stowed aboard a vessel for export.
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Overweight Containers Cause Problems for Almost Every Trade
The organizations state that there is no available data that reliably indicates how many containers are overweight; however, the problem is significant, and arises in almost every trade to some extent. Problems resulting from overweight containers include incorrect vessel stowage decisions, restowage of containers (and resulting delays and costs), collapsed container stacks , containers lost overboard, cargo liability claims, damage to chassis and ships, risk of personal injury or death to seafarers and shoreside workers, supply chain service delays for shippers of properly declared containers, liability for accidents and fines for overweight containers on roads, and impaired vessel efficiency, which can cause increased fuel usage and vessel air emissions.
Industry Best Practices Guidance Has Not Solved the Problem
The statement also claims that although the “Safe Transport of Containers By Sea: Guidelines on Best Practices” of 2008 have been generally regarded as positive and correct guidance, and have been widely disseminated, the Guidelines can only recommend best practices and have had little discernible effect on reducing the incidences of shippers’ providing incorrect container weights, or on ensuring that marine terminals verify the weight of loaded containers upon receipt/prior to loading.
Orgs Propose International Export Cargo Container Weighing Requirement
WSC and ICS state that the IMO should establish a universal international regulatory requirement that export cargo containers must be weighed by the marine terminal upon receipt and before vessel loading, and that the actual container weights be made available to the vessel operator and used for vessel stowage planning.
Specifically, they propose that:
- the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention be amended to require marine terminal operators to weigh a stuffed cargo container upon receipt and to have a verified container weight before loading a stuffed container aboard a ship for export;
- this requirement apply to all loaded containers, whether received through the port facility gate or transshipped at the port facility via another vessel, barge or rail; and
- such verified container weight be provided to the vessel operator for use in confirming and finalizing vessel stowage plans.
Weighing Requirement Does Not Need to Apply to Empty Containers
The organizations note that the industry does not envision that such a weighing requirement needs to apply to empty containers being received by a marine terminal, as shipping lines have not identified any significant safety issue arising from the weight of empties, and because port facilities may have separate entry gates for empties which should not need to be equipped with scales or weigh bridges.