Grace Period on VGM Rule Ends
The ‘light touch’ grace period on the enforcement of container VGM rule ended on 1 October 2016.
The requirement for shippers to verify the gross mass (VGM) of containers to be shipped on vessels came into effect on 1 July 2016. At that time, IMO suggested its member states should take a “practical and pragmatic” approach to the enforcement of the rule for a period of three months. This period expired on 1 October.
Further information on the VGM rule can be found in our Signals Online article.