Coast Guard: No Delay Container Weight Rule BUT No Penalties for Shippers
From Wall Street Journal:
Shippers that fail to properly weigh containers won’t face fines or other charges under a new rule, though they may find their goods left on the docks.
U.S. shippers that fail to properly weigh containers won’t face fines or other penalties under a new rule passed by an international maritime regulator, a U.S. Coast Guard official said Thursday.
Starting in July, carriers say they will reject any containers that haven’t been weighed and verified based on standards passed last year by the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization. Shippers say they weren’t adequately consulted on the rule before it was passed, and that it will raise their costs.
At a meeting hosted by the Federal Maritime Commission, the Coast Guard said it was up to shipping lines to enforce the new requirement. Carriers could then call on the Coast Guard to block or remove containers from ships if they aren’t certified, but the shippers wouldn’t be penalized by law enforcement, said Adm. Paul Thomas, who oversees inspections and compliance.
To read the entire article: Wall Street Journal
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