Container Weighing

A prominent group of European shippers is opposed to mandatory weighing of all outbound containers.

The European Shippers’ Council has described calls for global regulations that would require all containers to be weighed before being loaded onto a ship as “the wrong remedy.”

The ESC stand follows a formal proposal from several countries and prominent maritime associations urging the International Maritime Organization to take action to eliminate container weight misdeclarations.

However, the ESC argues that extra regulation of container weights “will not solve the safety issues in container transport, is superfluous and hardly feasible.”

The council concedes that, from reports of relatively recent accidents, “it has become clear that something needs to be done about the safety standards in container transport at sea and on land.”

However, the ESC says it is concerned that the discussion is entirely focused on a relatively small risk factor, that of mis-declared container weights, rather than on more important safety issues such as procedures for lashing, ship maintenance and stowing.

The ESC’s objections come after five leading industry bodies backed a proposal to the IMO requiring loaded containers to be weighed.

Denmark, the Netherlands and the US were supported by BIMCO, the International Association of Ports and Harbours, the International Chamber of Shipping, the International Transport Workers’ Federation and the World Shipping Council in requesting the IMO’s sub-committee on dangerous goods, solid cargoes and containers to consider the proposal when it next meets in September.

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