The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) issued a notice listing the organizations whose method for determining the verified gross mass (VGM) of a packed container has been approved by the MCA for method 2 under the applicable SOLAS standard. These shippers can provide a VGM to port terminals and ships masters (or their representatives) which meet the SOLAS chapter VI amendments.
The new amendment of SOLAS Chapter VI Part A Reg.2, effective from July 1st, 2016, requires, as a condition for loading a packed container onto a ship for export, that the container has a Verified Gross Mass (‘VGM’).
There are two methods for determining the weight of packed sea containers:
Method 1: weighing the packed container,
Method 2: Weighing all cargo items, including pallets, dunnage and other securing and packing material in the container and then adding to these the tare mass of the container.
Source: UK MCA
