WHO MUST WEIGH IN?

摘要

The implications of this relatively modest change to Solas, that in essence reiterates the shippers' existing responsibility to declare gross mass accurately, are reverberating through the international transport community. July 2016 is not far away, particularly when one considers the importance to the industry to see that consistency is developed as to the acceptable ways, and common standards, to confirm calibration and certification for both weighing the packed container ('Method 1') and ensuring the correct calculation of the sum of all constituent parts of a packed unit ('Method 2') as called for in the amendment. As often, the 'devil is in the detail' of implementation and there are various stakeholders who bear levels of responsibility to ensure that the venture is successful. Although the amendment mandating Verification of Gross Mass, VGM, only overtly names the 'shipper', the 'master' and the 'terminal representative', and - by implication - the competent authorities, there are a plethora of potential players in the supply chain that are not specifically drawn into the scope of the new regulation but must still be aware of the need for accurate certification.