The decision of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Maritime Safety Committee to solve the problem of misdeclared container weights will significantly improve the safety of container ships, their crews, shoreside personnel involved in the handling and transport of containers, and other cargo aboard the ship.

Earlier, the World Shipping Council (WSC) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) jointly urged the IMO to establish an international legal requirement that all loaded containers be weighed at the marine port facility before loading aboard a vessel for export.

The Maritime Safety Committee of the IMO agreed to a proposal made by the Netherlands, Denmark and Australia to establish a new work item to address the issue of incorrectly declared containerized cargo shipments and to undertake other measures to improve the safety of container stowage and ship operations.

WSC and ICS, along with many IMO member states and representative bodies for seafarers, dockworkers and masters, support the initiative that demonstrates the compelling need to address the problem.

Verification of actual container weight before vessel loading and the availability of the actual container weights for proper and safe stowage planning will mark a long overdue and important improvement in industry safety.

WSC and ICS are looking forward to assisting the IMO to institute a new set of requirements as soon as possible.

Both WSC and ICS submitted a paper to the IMO which stressed the importance of a clear requirement to ensure that all containers' weights are verified before vessel loading.