IMO to examine container weight declaration

IMO to examine container weight declaration    The International Maritime Organization will look into the issue of wrongly declared container weights, prompted by a proposal last week from maritime representatives of the Netherlands, Denmark and Australia.
   The IMO's Maritime Safety Committee will 'address the issue of incorrectly declared containerized cargo shipments and to undertake other measures to improve the safety of container stowage and ship operations,' according to a note Monday from the World Shipping Council.
   The WSC and International Chamber of Shipping in December urged the IMO to establish an international legal requirement that all loaded containers be weighed at origin port facilities before stowage aboard vessels for export.
   'Verification of actual container weight before vessel loading and the availability of the actual container weights for proper and safe stowage planning will mark a long overdue and important improvement in industry safety,' the WSC said. 'The problem will not be solved until there is a legal requirement to verify container weights before containers are loaded onto ships. In those countries that require loaded containers to be weighed before vessel stowage for export, the evidence overwhelmingly indicates that operations can proceed very efficiently without any disruption to commerce.'