Do you have freight shipments to any part of the world? Did you know that, as an exporter, you need to provide an accurate and reliable container weight to the company that is transporting your goods?
Due to the occurrence of a number of serious accidents linked to incorrect weight declarations, and to avoid physical and material damage, the International Maritime Organization has adopted specific rules under SOLAS (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea) to ensure the supply of reliable weights.
Find out about these and other current rules and regulations in today’s publication.
According to legal regulations, the container’s VGM (Verified Gross Mass) must be provided to the ocean carrier, which includes:
- Cargo weight;
- Weight of all loading equipment and materials;
- Tonnage and tare weight (weight of container).
These requirements are intended to increase ship safety, improve ship stability and protect all those involved in handling the cargo on shore by preventing stacked containers from collapsing.
What happens to a container whose VGM has not been declared?
- Entry and embarkation will not be granted at the port terminals following “SEM VGM – NO GATE IN”.
- Any time spent outside the terminal will incur additional costs.
At Olicargo we have a team of experts on hand to help you comply with all the rules and regulations before the container arrives at the port terminal. We make sure that all the information is provided correctly to avoid inconvenience and increased costs.
Sources:
Allog. (2019). VGM: Guia Para Entender o Peso Bruto Verificado. Consultado a 03 de janeiro de 2024, em: https://www.allog.com.br/vgm/
DGRM. (n.d.). Convenção Internacional para a Salvaguarda da Vida Humana no Mar (SOLAS). Consultado a 03 de janeiro de 2024, em: https://www.dgrm.pt/solas
