Progress is being made, but it is clear that not all shippers will be ready to comply with the new International Maritime Organisation’s Safety for Life at Sea (Solas) verified gross mass (VGM) regulation, says Drewry Maritime Research, pointing to its recently completed global survey around the industry’s readiness for the new regulation.
“We urge any shipper or forwarder to talk to their carriers as a matter of urgency to clarify and finalise their compliance processes and to plan for likely port and logistics delays from 1 July,” said the maritime analyst in this week’s Container Insight report.
The Drewry survey found that most stakeholders were expecting some delays after its implementation in July.
There was just over a month to go before new safety regulation came into effect mandating container weighing from 1 July, but at the eleventh hour there was still much confusion over how shippers and forwarders would be able to comply, commented Drewry.
“Better information on compliance requirements and options is starting to be communicated but there is still a lack of standardisation and coordination,” said a Drewry spokesperson.
