“Verified Gross Mass” (VGM) Requirement for Certain International Shipments

“Verified Gross Mass” (VGM) Requirement for Certain International Shipments

Effective July 1, 2016

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) published an amendment to the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) that requires shippers to verify and provide to the ocean carrier a “Verified Gross Mass” (VGM) for every container moving in international transport, as specified below.

 

Shipments that DO NOT require VGM

The SOLAS Amendment VGM requirement does not apply to the following:

  • Shipments solely between two U.S. ports, including:
    • Hawaii
    • Alaska
    • Guam
    • Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas
  • International shipments originating at U.S. ports to destinations with transshipment inside the U.S. or U.S. territory, including:
    • Federated States of Micronesia
    • Republic of the Marshall Islands
    • Republic of Palau

 

Shipments that DO require VGM

The SOLAS Amendment VGM requirement DOES apply to the following types of shipments:

  • All shipments originating outside the US and US territories
  • 澳博体育app下载 will require VGM for all international shipments originating at U.S. ports to destinations outside the U.S. with transshipment at ports that have not declared non-requirement of VGM

MATSON WILL NOT LOAD ANY CONTAINER TO A VESSEL WITHOUT REQUIRED VGM

 

For all shipments that do require VGM, the SOLAS Amendment requires VGM to be determined by one of two methods:

Method 1 - Weighing the container after it has been packed.

OR

Method 2 - Weighing all contents of the container and adding those weights to the tare weight indicated on the door of the container.

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Easy online compliance – 澳博体育app下载 VGM Portal

For international shipments that require the shipper’s VGM, 澳博体育app下载 has created an online portal to enable compliance. 澳博体育app下载’s VGM Portal allows a shipper’s duly authorized representative(s) to easily enter and certify the required VGM information for each container. 澳博体育app下载’s local offices will also accept VGM submissions via email and fax.

NOTE: Effective November 1, 2023, 澳博体育app下载 has introduced a new VGM Portal offering the same reliable features and functionality with a refreshed appearance.

VGM Portal User Instructions

Open VGM Portal (new, effective November 1, 2023)

Open VGM Portal (classic, to be discontinued December 19, 2023)

澳博体育app下载 reminds all shippers and others in the domestic and international supply chain of their critical role in ensuring the safety of our operations by adhering to the relevant provisions of 澳博体育app下载’s bill of lading and sea waybill. These provisions detail a shipper’s warranties and obligations with respect to the accuracy and completeness of the information provided to 澳博体育app下载 regarding containers and their contents packed by a shipper or its agents and the weight of each container.

Links to Resources

Coast Guard Maritime Commons: 3/2/2016: “SOLAS amendments to container weight requirements – FAQs” Click here

Coast Guard Maritime Commons: 4/28/2016: “Additional information on Coast Guard determinations about container weight requirements, verified gross mass” Click here