West Coast MTO Agreement Releases Statement on VGM Weighing Procedures

The West Coast MTO Agreement (WCMTOA) announced today that all 13 member terminals are incapable of providing verified gross mass (VGM) weighing services that adhere to the SOLAS guidelines scheduled to go into effect on July 1.

The guidelines, which are amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), require shippers to notify ocean carriers of the weight of containers before they are loaded onto a ship.

The collective announcement by the member terminals was based on the lack of terminal infrastructure necessary to obtain VGMs using the methods specified within the guideline amendments.

Individual member terminals will establish and communicate their own policies for handling VGM procedures at their terminals.

The West Coast MTO Agreement is filed with the Federal Maritime Commission, and comprises the 13 marine terminal operators serving the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports.