SOLAS VI Regulation 2 amendment
UK MCA issued a marine notice to outline the legal position in the UK with regard to the recent amendments to SOLAS VI which take effect from 1 st July 2016. It also signposts detailed guidance for UK shippers, terminals/ports and carriers on implementing the SOLAS VI provisions.
Following concerns raised by the shipping industry regarding the mis-declaration of the declared gross mass of packed containers, SOLAS Chapter VI Regulation 2 has been amended.
The amendment to SOLAS VI Regulation 2 which comes into force 1 st July 2016 expands on how the gross mass of cargo (contents) carried in units including tare weight of the container, must be verified. This amendment gives shippers two possible options for deciding which method to use for obtaining such an accurate gross mass.
No change is required to Regulation 4 of The Merchant Shipping (Carriage of Cargoes) Regulations 1999 S.I. 1999 No.336, as it already places a requirement on the shipper to provide the owner or master with the gross mass of the cargo units sufficiently in advance of loading of that unit on board a ship and this amendment to SOLAS does not change this requirement.
The following Marine Notice gives detailed advice on how UK shippers, ports/terminals and carriers can meet their responsibilities under this SOLAS amendment.
