News
The International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association (FIATA) is calling for enhanced communication from container shipping lines ahead of the deadline by which new IMO regulations requiring verification of a freight container's gross mass become mandatory.
The non-governmental organization, which represents an industry covering approximately 40,000 forwarding and logistics companies is calling on shipping lines to provide greater clarity on how they wish to receive the data concerning the Verified Gross Mass of a container when the amendment to SOLAS becomes effective on July 1, 2016.
At a recent meeting in Cape Town, the FIATA Working Group Sea Transport joined with South African fruit exporters and the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) in a workshop to examine the changes to SOLAS and the effect on the supply chain.
Among the difficulties anticipated in July, freight forwarders were concerned at the lack of information being provided by the shipping lines on how they wish to receive the VGM data.
