For American FMC, the companies of navigation they would have to accept the data on the assessed weight of the container from the terminals operator



To two weeks from the effectiveness of the amendment to Solas convention on the safeguard of the life in sea, that it will be applied by the next 1° July and that imposes that all the container have the indication of their gross mass verified (Verified Gross Mass - VGM) before being loaded on board with the ships, the president of the Maritime American Federal Commission (FMC), Mario Cordero, has intended to clarify the way with which such norm it could be observed without this causes to obstacles and congestions of the harbour traffic.

An explanation that however seems to relatively raise ulterior doubts to the subject that is in charge of the declaration of the weight of the container, subject that is identified in "shipper" by the norm of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the figure that in Italy, second various opinions, improperly is made to coincide with that of the shipper.

For Cordero, the method that "settles the matter without delay" consists in entrusting itself to the weight of the containers in export that is determined by the harbour terminalisti, weight that - according to the president of the American federal agency - can and must be recognized as the verified gross mass of the container. Other systems - it has explicitly made to intend with that which it appears not even too much veiled threat to the navigation companies - can hinder the commercial exchanges and could be endorsed from the FMC.

"There is a way for being in rule regarding the VGM of the SOLAS - Cordero has explained - that it is indicated by Guard Costiera and that is not only onerous, but not even does not demand some ulterior action. - It has emphasized - it is amazing that someone can burden the commerce with ulterior procedures, dispositions and costs, but raises also the suspicion of anti-competitive practices and not only needs of a consequent participation of the Commission. To use the weight found to the gate one of the terminal to the aim to satisfy the necessity to establish the verified gross mass of a container - it has observed - is a solution simple and effective in order to assure regulating sliding of the flow of cargos in export".

Cordero has specified that therefore the navigation companies, for being in rule with the dispositions of the SOLAS, would not only have to recognize the validity of the weight assessed from the terminalisti, but would have also to facilitate the transmission of these information. "In order to promote the efficiency - it has found Cordero - the weighing carried out to the gate ones of the terminals to the aims of the respect of the VGM of the SOLAS would have to be transmitted from the terminal operator to the navigation company directly, and not supplied to the loader for being then introduced to the carrier. The short distance between two points - it has evidenced - is a straight line and this is worth for the data traffic as well as how much for navigation. It has sense - it has concluded - to have only the direct transmission of the weights of the containers from the terminal operator to the oceanic carrier".