Ship brokers back reg on overweight boxes

   The Federation of National Associations of Ship Brokers and Agents (FONASBA) said it’s giving its “full backing to international government and industry efforts aimed at ensuring that shipping containers for export are accurately weighed.”
   “Ship agents see the problems which inaccurately weighed containers cause ports and ships every day. It is extremely worrying that there is currently no obligation for containers to be accurately weighed anywhere along the transport chain. FONASBA hopes that this initiative will rectify this anomaly and bring considerably more certainty, resulting in increased safety levels for all parties in the container shipping sector,” said Jonathan Williams, general manager of FONASBA.
   The container weighing initiative, which is being led by the World Shipping Council in concert with shipowners’ association BIMCO, the International Association of Ports and Harbours, the International Chamber of Shipping, and the International Transport Workers Federation, as well as the maritime administrations of Denmark, the Netherlands and the United States, will be launched at the 17th session of IMO’s Sub-Committee on Dangerous Goods, Solid Cargoes and Containers (DSC 17) in September.
   FONASBA said “the problem of under-declared and unverified containers is a serious one for ports and ships. A paper to be put forward at the IMO meeting revealed that in recent containership accidents, some boxes had been up to 10 tons heavier than the manifest weight, leading to stack collapse, capsizes and even contributing to the break up of the vessel.  Onshore, under-declaration has led to crane, straddle carrier and forklift failures as well as stack collapse, overturned trucks and damage to trains, roads and bridges.”
   The European Shippers Council has expressed concern about the proposal, calling it “superfluous and hardly feasible.” – Chris Dupin