NEWS

Verified Weight

From the 1st July 2016 all packed shipping containers must have a verified weight before they can be gated into port for export from New Zealand.

Shipper's Obligations

Published: 15 July 2016

As reported in March 2016, regulatory amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) came into effect from the 1st July 2016. This change now requires all shippers to provide the Verified Gross Mass (VGM) of a container using one of the following two methods.

Method 1:
A container is packed, sealed and then weighed.

Method 2:
The tare mass of a container is added to the collective weight of all its contents, including dunnage and packing material.

Unlike previous requirements under SOLAS (which additionally required shippers to declare the weight of their cargo), the VGM must be determined by a certified and calibrated weighing devise. An estimation of weight is not permitted.

The shipper (who is named on the Bill of Lading) is responsible for providing the VGM before it can be gated into port or loaded onto a vessel for export.

Champion Freight is working alongside shippers to ensure all obligations under the SOLAS amendments are seamlessly fulfilled. We have identified accredited weighing facilities across the country which adhere to the Weights and Measurements Act under New Zealand law. Please contact us if you have any questions or require the VGM for your next export container.