VGM Not Required from US Exporters
View COAST GUARD DECLARATION OF EQUIVALENCY
We are concerned by reports that shippers continue to be required by freight forwarders, NVO’s or carriers to submit VGM (the combined weight of the cargo, packing materials and the container itself) – and sometimes pay a fee. As AgTC members know, for cargo loaded at US terminals, shippers are not responsible to transmit VGM because the loaded containers are weighed at the terminals, then transmitted to the ocean carrier. For cargo arriving to terminals by rail, shippers are only responsible for providing the weight of their cargo and packing materials, not the VGM (total weight of the cargo + container).
What you should do if faced with a VGM demand or fee:
Let us know! We continuously help our AgTC members eliminate the burden of VGM calculation and associated fees. Email us when a carrier makes this VGM demand, so we can intervene and ‘educate’ the carrier and end these demands. Our success is close to 100%. For example, received today from a member:
“We always send the invoice and truck b/l to the forwarders so they have the weights and other information. Based on what I sent to the forwarder from the AgTC site, that the terminal weighs it anyway, they’ve withdrawn their request for the VGM data and fees for all future shipments 🙂 Thank you again for the help!”
Know your rights! AgTC members have access to the Coast Guard’s Declaration of Equivalency, stating that the terminal weighing is acceptable for VGM compliance.
Know each carrier’s VGM policy. See below announcements from all major carriers and ports which state that the terminals and carriers will coordinate VGM calculation.
By July 1st, 2016, most major carriers, terminals and port authorities issued policies (found below) stating their willingness to accept the the terminal weighing approach. For cargo delivered to terminals by rail, most carriers require the shipper to only submit the weight of the cargo plus packing materials.
VGM Policies from Carriers, Terminals, and Ports (email info@agtrans.org if you have received additional or updated policies)
Carriers
APL has issued an updated policy. It can be found here.
APL issued its policy for customers on 6/28/2016. You may find it here.
Canadian National Railroad issued its policy for customers on 7/26/2016. You may find it here.
CMA CGM issued its policy for customers on 6/29/2016. You may find it here.
Cosco issued its policy for customers on 6/28/2016. You may find it here. Click here for 7/1 IPI policy.
Evergreen issued its policy for customers on 6/30/2016. You may find it here.
G6 Guidance to Terminal Operators. Click here to read.
Hamburg Sud issued its policy for customers on 6/29/2016. You may find it here.
Hapag Lloyd issued its policy for customers on 6/28/2016. You may find it here.
Hyundai-MM formally announces simplified SOLAS VGM process. Hyundai is the first carrier to put in writing that they will accept the terminal scale weights. See HMM notice here.
K Line announced its VGM policy on 6/24/2016. You may find it here.
Kuehne + Nagel issued its policy for customers on 6/30/2016. You may find it here.
Maersk issued its On-Dock rail policy and some updated information on 6/30/2016. Additionally, you may find its general customer policy here.
MOL/G6 Alliance: Click here for participating terminals weighing for G6 carriers.
MSC issued its policy for customers on 6/29/2016. You may find it here.
NYK issued its policy for customers on 6/27/2016. You may find it here.
OOCL policy as of 6/29/2016 is found here.
PIL issued its policy for customers on 6/28/2016. AgTC NOTE: PIL is adopting our preferred means of terminal VGM development for gate moves. However, two red flags. Note the $10 charge for a container at APM terminals. Second, they do not deal the way we wish with the Intermodal cargo. They are not adopting the Hyundai and K line model. You may find it here.
Polynesian Lines policy as of 7/7/2016 can be found here.
Safmarine issued its policy for customers on 6/28/2016. You may find it here.
US Lines issued its policy for customers on 6/29/2016. You may find it here.
Wen Hai Lines issued its policy for customers on 6/30/2016. You may find it here.
Yang Ming announced its policy on 6/24/2016. You may find it here
Zim issued its policy for customers earlier, and released this useful VGM by port matrix on 7/1/2016
Ports
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Beth Rooney, assistant director in the port department of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey: all the port’s six terminals would offer weighing services to containers without a VGM.
The Port of Houston Authority has issued guidelines that can be found here.
Port of Charleston in their port tariff website is summarized by: “All export containers will be weighed on calibrated and certified truck scales on arrival at the Port of Charleston. The gross weight of the cargo and container will be provided to the respective ocean … No further written or electronic authorization is required of the shipper.
Georgia Ports Authority’s VGM solution
The Georgia Ports Authority will provide EDI 322 messages for all export loads to include the VGM qualifier. In light of the approved VGM equivalent process, the GPA will not require the ocean carriers to provide VGM weights electronically. The Georgia Ports Authority weighs all loaded export containers received at its truck and on-dock rail yards on state-certified scales. These weights are to be provided directly to the ocean carriers. The United States Coast Guard has declared that weights obtained through this procedure are equivalent to the Verified Gross Mass (VGM) required by SOLAS. Effective July 1, 2016, by shipping containerized cargo through the port terminal, shippers authorize use of these gate weights to satisfy their VGM obligations. Shippers may also choose to provide the VGM directly to their ocean carriers. For additional information, please consult Georgia Ports Authority tariff Rules 34-027 and 34-075.
You can find more information on the Georgia Ports Authority’s VGM solution here.
Terminals
APM Terminals has issued information on its VGM policy. You may find it here.
Terminal Matrix from CMA-CGM – note $10/container “VGM charge” for APM and TTI terminals.
“Hapag Lloyd and Maersk have confirmed they will accept our scale weights as VGM so far” (from SSA/OICT Oakland)
Maersk released a list of terminals which will weigh and convey VGM to the carrier on 6/28/2016. You may find them here.
The New Orleans Terminal released its VGM requirements on 6/29/2016. You may find more information here, as well as a useful flow chart.
The NW Seaport Alliance Terminal released updated information on its VGM status on 7/19/2016. You may find it here.
SSA/OICT Oakland issued an updated SOLAS statement on 07/01/2016.
Trapac terminals in Oakland, Los Angeles and Jacksonville will have same terminal weight VGM policy (as SSA/OICT).