Freight forwarder sheds light on IMDG paint issue

A freight forwarder has come out in defence of a box carrier after a shipper of paint, Kansai Plascon, accused the line in question as well as its call centre agents in India of misreading guidelines and codes for the declaration of International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG). Kansai supply chain exports manager, Sapphron Phillipson, complained to FTW that the line’s agents insisted that they were incorrectly declaring their shipments, leading to delays of bulk paint exports. Phillipson said at the time that they were requested to declare the paint according to the chemical components used to manufacture it but, because of the disagreement, a consignment of stock had been delayed and would possibly only reach Russia during its winter season when its harbours were frozen, causing further delays. She said it was incorrect that their paint should be declared according to what was in it. “We cannot do that as it would amount to reverse engineering our paint when the endproduct is still paint,” said Phillipson. However, Margrit Wolff of Mercury Freight has defended the line and its agents. In response to the frontpage story published in FTW of 21 June, “Shipper blames dangerous goods misunderstanding for cargo delays”, Wolf said the line’s agents were correctly interpreting IMDG guidelines. “The shipper is incorrect. “There is water-based paint which is non-hazardous and other resin and chemical-based paints which are hazardous. Therefore they must be declared and shipped in terms of their components as they may have a flammable or inhalation hazard.” FTW has yet to hear from the particular line, a sea freight leader, in respect of Kansai’s concerns. They must be declared and shipped in terms of their components. – Margrit Wolff “