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Hong Kong Marine Department sets strict VGM box weigh-in rules for July 1

THE Hong Kong Marine Department has set strict rules to enforce the requirement of the UN's mandatory verification of the gross mass of a container prior to loading on the vessels in Hong Kong from July 1.

Unlike other strictures that leave wiggle room by allowing what amounts to a declaration of weight, the Hong Kong rules require scales and operators of scales to be numbered and registered with the Marine Department.

The Marine Department authorises two methods under the "Guidelines on the Verification of Gross Mass of a Container with Cargo Packed in Hong Kong".

"For a container weighed by the approved weighing scale, the shipper requires to have a weighing document showing the weighing scale's authorisation number, the name of weighing scale operator, the date of weighing, the container number and the seal number with signature of the weighing scale operating staff and company stamp. The sample of weighing document is available here," said the Marine Department website.

"For any local weighing scale operator who is interested in getting the authorisation, please click here for the procedures of application. The approved weighing scale operator has to schedule an annual calibration within 12 months of the previous calibration. The calibration proof shall be issued by Registered Professional Engineer (Mechanical or Marine and Naval Architecture discipline)," the website said.

Method 2: "The shipper may weigh all the package and cargo items, including the mass of pallets, dunnage and other securing material 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 Marine Department.

"In other words, the shipper opting for method 2 shall submit the application of registration before employing this method for gross mass verification," the Marine Department said.

"The shipper shall declare the verified gross mass obtained in the shipping document by quoting the registration number and submitted to the carrier and the terminal via carrier sufficiently in advance," said the website.