IMO Provides More Clarity on Verified Gross Mass Amendment

IMO's Marine Safety Committee announced that there will be a “practical and pragmatic approach” to enforcement

Subscriber: Log Out

As of July 1, only containers with a verified gross mass will be cleared to be loaded onto a ship under the International Maritime Organization's Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Verified Gross Mass (VGM) amendment. Shippers hoping that the implementation of the ruling will be delayed or deferred are whistling in the dark, say industry analysts.

But one ray of light surfaced yesterday when the IMO's Marine Safety Committee announced that there will be a “practical and pragmatic approach” to enforcement for the first three months.

Concerns were noted with regards to the application of the requirements to a container which was loaded before July 1st and then transshipped,” said The Committee. It also noted delegations' comments that, in the first few months, “some leeway” should be provided in order for any problems resulting from software updates, required for the electronic collection and transmittal of verified gross mass data, to be rectified without causing delays to containers being loaded.

Such an approach may help ensure that containers that are loaded before the first day of July – but transhipped on or after that date – reach their final port of discharge without a verified gross mass and it would provide flexibility, for three months immediately after July 1st, to all the stakeholders in containerized transport to refine, if necessary, procedures (e.g. updated software) for documenting, communicating and sharing electronic verified gross mass data.

Notwithstanding the above, the Committee emphasized that the stability and safe operation of ships, including the safe packing, handling and transport of containers, is not limited to the provision and use of VGM information and is also covered by a number of SOLAS regulations.

SC
MR

Latest Podcast
Talking Supply Chain: Visibility and external manufacturing
Gartner Supply Chain’s Sam New joined the Talking Supply Chain podcast to talk about how business can overcome the challenges of achieving…
Listen in

About the Author

Patrick Burnson, Executive Editor
Patrick Burnson

Patrick is a widely-published writer and editor specializing in international trade, global logistics, and supply chain management. He is based in San Francisco, where he provides a Pacific Rim perspective on industry trends and forecasts. He may be reached at his downtown office: [email protected].

View Patrick 's author profile.

Subscribe

Supply Chain Management Review delivers the best industry content.
Subscribe today and get full access to all of Supply Chain Management Review’s exclusive content, email newsletters, premium resources and in-depth, comprehensive feature articles written by the industry's top experts on the subjects that matter most to supply chain professionals.
×

Search

Search

Sourcing & Procurement

Inventory Management Risk Management Global Trade Ports & Shipping

Business Management

Supply Chain TMS WMS 3PL Government & Regulation Sustainability Finance

Software & Technology

Artificial Intelligence Automation Cloud IoT Robotics Software

The Academy

Executive Education Associations Institutions Universities & Colleges

Resources

Podcasts Webcasts Companies Visionaries White Papers Special Reports Premiums Magazine Archive

Subscribe

SCMR Magazine Newsletters Magazine Archives Customer Service

Press Releases

Press Releases Submit Press Release