Today, the World Shipping Council (WSC), the TT Club, the International Cargo Handling Coordination Association (ICHCA), and the Global Shippers' Forum (GSF) jointly released a new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document to address issues arising from the new container weighing regulations due to take effect globally on 1 July 2016. The amendments to the SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) Convention require packed shipping containers to have a verified gross mass (VGM) before they can be loaded on a ship for export.

Returning to a subject that has been covered not infrequently in this newsletter* as the industry approaches the twelve month mark before mandated verification of gross mass of containers enters into force on 1 July 2016, we provide commentary on emerging good practice.