NVOCCs Request Implementation 'Status Update' from IMO on Container Weight Requirements
The International Maritime Organization should produce an update on the implementation stages in IMO member states of new container weight requirements, a group of non-vessel operating common carriers said in an open letter (here). The Feb. 28 letter was signed by executives at CaroTrans International, Ecu-Line, Shipco Transport and Vanguard Logistics Services. The group of NVOCCs, which called itself the Global Consolidators Working Group, laid out concerns for the IMO's requirement for verified gross mass (VGM) reporting under amendments to the Safety of the Life at Sea Act (SOLAS), set to take effect July 1. The shippers add to a growing list of concerns over the implementation plans (see 1602190034).
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The group asked the IMO to compile and send out an extensive update on the implementation by April 1."Many questions remain unanswered," said the group. "Shippers around the world are currently unaware as to how IMO Member States will implement the SOLAS amendment, how the new requirements will be enforced, who will be enforcing them, the associated penalties and other relevant requirements. This lack of information, transparency and guidance makes it nearly impossible (and certainly impractical) for shippers to implement necessary arrangements to comply properly with the SOLAS amendment at the individual Member State level." The IMO didn't comment and has yet to "formally" receive the letter, said an IMO spokeswoman.