Port of Virginia switches position on SOLAS compliance

The mid-Atlantic port will now weigh export containers on scales near the gates and provide the measurement to shipping lines according to longstanding protocols.    The Virginia Port Authority (VPA) on Tuesday reversed its position on implementation of new international container safety standards, saying it will continue to accept containers at the truck gate and rail yard even if shippers haven’t electronically provided information about the weight of the container.
   The change was in response to an April 28 U.S. Coast Guard bulletin stating the agency considered existing methods for weighing containers under U.S. law and regulations as equivalent to an amendment to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention, which goes into effect July 1. The IMO requirement is for shippers to provide a verified container weight to vessel operators, and by extension marine terminals, in advance. The aim is to curtail instances of overloaded containers from destabilizing vessels, falling from mooring or being dropped on land and potentially jeopardizing safety on the water or the docks.
   The Port of Virginia will weigh export containers on scales near the gates and provide the measurement to shipping lines according to longstanding protocols.
   Previously, the VPA said it would not accept containers that did not have the verified gross mass prior to arrival. Industry officials have indicated that terminals did not want to store boxes for an undetermined period on congested property waiting to collect the information.
   The VPA did not indicate whether it will charge for the service, adding that a more detailed operating policy will be issued soon.
   Last week, the Port of Savannah and the Port of Charleston, citing the Coast Guard’s statement, declared they would help shippers comply with the new rules by providing the weight data to them and the carrier. The Port of Charleston plans to charge $25 when shippers request the info, while the Georgia Ports Authority said it will provide the service free of charge.
   Private terminal operator Ports America has similarly said it will offer scale services to shippers at the Port of Baltimore, as needed.
   VPA Chief Innovation Officer Joseph Ruddy said in April that weigh-in-motion scales are not precise enough to meet the IMO requirements, but the Coast Guard’s determination of equivalency led the state agency to change its mind.
   Weighing containers at the Port of Virginia “will keep our throughput high, allay our export customers’ concerns, and help ensure the safety of mariners,” VPA Executive Director John Reinhart said in a statement.
   Under the IMO’s amended safety convention, shippers can weigh the loaded container or weight the cargo, including packing materials, and add it to the tare mass of the container. Shippers are allowed to use third parties to meet the requirement, but in all cases must sign the manifest, shipping instructions or separate document confirming the VGM. The option of adding the tare weight has proven controversial, with some exporters complaining it is unfair and burdensome for them to tally the weight of the empty box that belongs to the carrier.