Guidelines for Cargo Containers Packed in Hong Kong

In March of this year, a document was published by the Hong Kong Government’s Marine Depart outlining guidelines for cargo containers packed in Hong Kong.

The guideline provides two methods for verification of the gross mass of a packed container.

• Method 1: Shipper may weigh the packed container by using the weighing scale authorized by the Marine Department of HKSAR;

• Method 2: Shipper may weigh all packages and cargo items; including the mass of pallets, dunnage and other securing materials to be packed in the container and add the tare mass of the container to the sum of the single mass using a method certified by the Marine Department.

Verification of Gross Mass of Cargo Containers Packed in Hong Kong

The following is an extract from the document:

Core Principles

The shipper is responsible to obtain and record the verified gross mass of the packed container in documentary format. In case any container comprises more than one shipper’s cargo, the entity consolidates, seals and delivers the container to the carrier shall be responsible for the verification of container mass, including pallets, dunnage and other securing material to be packed in the container. The Master of the carrier or his representative and the terminal’s representative shall be provided with the container’s gross mass figure before the container arrives at the terminal gate.

Methods in Verification of Packed Container Mass

Shipper may opt for either one method below for mass verification of packed container:

Method 1: weighing the packed container by using the authorized weighing scale;

Method 2: weighing all packages and cargo items, including pallets, dunnage and other securing material to be packed in the container and adding the tare mass of the container to the sum of the single mass using a certified method approved by the MD.

Documentation

The verified gross mass obtained in accordance with (5) of these Guidelines shall be declared in the shipping document. The declaration may be submitted to the carrier as a part of the loading instruction or an independent proof document. The declaration shall be signed by the shipper’s authorized person. The signature may be in the form of electronic.

Shipper’s Declaration

In the shipping document as per (6) of these Guidelines, the shipper shall make a declaration by incorporating the content as below. For gross mass obtained by Method 1, the declaration shall consist of the content hereunder: “Shipper’s declaration: the gross mass of the packed container declared in the shipping document was obtained in accordance with Method 1 stipulated in SOLAS Chapter VI Regulation 2 by means of the authorized weighing scales”, followed by the signature of shipper. For gross mass obtained by Method 2, the declaration shall consist of the content hereunder: “Shipper’s declaration: the gross mass of packed container declared in the shipping document was obtained in accordance with Method 2 stipulated in SOLAS Chapter VI Regulation 2. The procedure of this method has been approved by MD with registration number “GMV012345678” and followed by the signature of the shipper.

Submission of Information

Prior to shipping the container to the terminal’s facilities, the shipper shall submit the shipping document with verified gross mass as per (6) of this method statement to the terminal and shipping line by means of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) or Electronic Data Processing (EDP) transmission or paper copy for the purpose of formulation of stowage plan. When the packed container reaches the terminal’s facilities, the shipping line shall confirm with the terminal for the availability of verified gross mass figures.

Weighing Scale

Verification of gross mass through Method 1 is to be done by the authorized weighing scales enlisted in MD’s web page. (To be enlisted in MD’s webpage, authorized weighing scale operators are required to submit weighing scale annual calibration report.)

Shipment and Transshipment of Consolidated Container

If a container is shipped to a terminal via land transportation, railway, or non-convention vessels, that unverified packed container shall not be loaded onboard a SOLAS-compliance vessel unless the verified mass of the packed container has been obtained in accordance with the verification methods as per (5) or, direct weighing of the packed containers at the authorized weighing scales through the arrangement of the Master or terminal for the efficient cargo operation. Re-verification is not required for containers in transshipment.

Deviation in Gross Mass Figures

The verified gross mass figure shall prevail if it is different from the figure declared prior to verification. The verified gross mass figure obtained by weighing equipment in the terminal shall prevail if it is different from the verified figure obtained before the container reaches the terminal. The verified gross mass figure obtained by MD in situ as a means of random check shall prevail if it is different from the verified figure obtained by weighing equipment in the terminal. Tolerance of +/-5% between the verified gross mass declared by the shipper and the verified gross mass obtained by MD, carrier or terminal shall be acceptable. There is no obligation for the carriers and terminals to verify the verified gross mass unless it is found necessary.

Overweighed Container

The gross mass of a packed container shall not exceed the maximum operating gross mass stamped on the container’s safety approval plate issued in accordance with the requirements of amended CSC (and section 10 of Cap. 506). Any overweighed container shall not be allowed to be loaded on board.

Unverified Container

If the shipper cannot provide the verified gross mass information upon a container’s arrival at the terminal, that container shall not be loaded onboard until verification of container mass is completed. The shipper may delegate the Master or his representative and terminal’s representative to carry out verification in the terminal or other places where authorized weighing scales are provided. The verified gross mass obtained in this way can be employed for the preparation of the stowage plan.

To help make it easier to follow the guidelines, a flow chart was published to make it easier:

Container Mass Verification Flow Chart