‘SA should take the lead in fighting container weight misdeclaration’

The issue of mandatory weighing of containers at port of departure has raised heated debate in the industry. “But it’s going to happen,” says Peter Newton, “and my hope is that South Africa will take the lead.” The topic has been placed on the agenda of the International Maritime Organisation’s 89th meeting in May with a view to amending existing legislation. Cape Town-based managing director of Seaboard and a vociferous voice in the shipping industry, Newton points out that as a signatory to the IMO, South Africa is obliged to follow the route. He believes it will, however, take the IMO two to four years to implement. According to Newton the right terminal equipment has been identified, although some modifications will be necessary. And while several industry sources maintain that weighing a container in the terminal is too late in the day and will pose significant logistical challenges, Newton believes it’s workable. “If a container is overweight you put it on one side, tell the shipper to take it away and charge him full charges. “If the guys have to do the job again and pay a couple of thousand rand, that will get them to toe the line – although it won’t stop it altogether.” And it’s not purely a question of overweight containers – it’s a problem of weight misdeclaration, which has serious implications for ship stability.