Exporters and logistics operators have limited time to prepare for new container weighing requirements, with the compliance deadline now just weeks away.
Under the updated Marine Notice, which was published in December, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) requires all facilities using Method 1 to determine the verified gross mass (VGM) of containers to be authorised before being used for export shipments.
From July 1, containers presented for export without a VGM will not be loaded on to vessels. Where discrepancies are identified, the verified weight will take precedence, and non-compliance may trigger enforcement action.
For exporters, this means any facility used to weigh packed containers under Method 1 – including weighbridges, reach stackers, cranes and mobile weighing equipment – must hold a valid SAMSA authorisation certificate. Shippers will need to ensure that the facilities they use are approved, as responsibility for declaring the VGM remains with the shipper.
SAMSA has indicated that enforcement will include port state control inspections and audits of shippers, packing facilities and weighing operations. Mis-declaration of container weight is treated as an offence under the Merchant Shipping (Carriage of Cargoes) Regulations, with penalties including fines or imprisonment of up to 12 months.
The requirements form part of South Africa’s implementation of amendments to the SOLAS convention, which places responsibility for declaring the verified gross mass of a packed container on the shipper prior to loading.
Under the updated Marine Notice, any facility weighing packed containers using Method 1 – including weighbridges, lifting equipment such as reach stackers and mobile weighing systems – must be assessed and certified to operate as a SAMSA-authorised weighing facility.
Despite the changes, which come into effect in less than two months, uptake has been limited, with many operators yet to begin the certification process, says Dave Johnson of General & Marine Surveyors, one of two SAMSA-accredited entities approved to conduct assessments for the authorisation of weighing facilities under Method 1.
“Sites that use Method 1 by weighing packed containers should allow at least two weeks for the process. This is not only for the site visit, which can take time for remote areas but also for the documentation to be compiled and submitted to SAMSA,” Johnson says.
Capacity constraints may be compounded by parallel compliance requirements. “There will also be a flood of Method 2 renewals underway in the same period, clogging the systems of both the accredited entities and SAMSA,” he says.
He warns that the operational impact of non-compliance would be immediate at terminal level. “Prior to this notice, only Method 2 users had a SAMSA certificate number, which was required to be entered on Transnet’s NAVIS system when booking containers into stacks. From 1 July, Method 1 users will not be able to stack their containers if they do not have a SAMSA certificate number. If the weighing facility used has not been authorised, they will need to take the container to a suitable weighbridge and obtain an approved weighbridge ticket.”
