Leading Australian stevedore, Patrick Terminals, has announced the implementation of their weighing device, called the Pondus Stand, to check the weight of shipping containers and they will impose a penalty if they identify discrepancies of plus or minus one tonne (+/- 1t).
The fine, called a Weight Amendment Fee for Import Containers, means that a Weigh and Adjustment charge of AUD230.00 per container (plus GST) will apply to all containers determined by the Pondus Stand to have a weight variance of greater than +/- one metric tonne within the documented weight.
Both import and export containers will be statistically sampled for weighing on the Pondus stand, and mis-declared containers will have a charge placed on the relevant transport cartage company for imports, or the shipping line in the case of exports.
Their authority for doing so comes under the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), Marine Order 42. Two years ago, the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) was amended to provide that every party in the supply chain has a duty to ensure the safety of their transport activities. Since July 2016, the International Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) has required shippers to obtain and document the Verified Gross Mass (VGM) of a packed container prior to vessel loading.
Trials of the Pondus Stand were carried out at Patrick’s Brisbane terminal and considered to be effective. Patrick Terminals has advised customers that the Pondus penalty fee of $230.00 will come into effect from the 4th January 2021. The charge will not apply to importers and exporters who accurately declare container weights, i.e. who are within the +/- 1t discrepancy range.
Under international rules, the accuracy of the VGM obtained for a container is the responsibility of the shipper and can be monitored by the relevant regulatory authorities at either origin or destination. If you are an importer here in Australia, that means your overseas supplier should be accurately weighing containers before they ship them.
Do you have policies/procedures in place with your suppliers? If you do not have a VGM document trail, you will be liable if a discrepancy of more than one tonne is detected by the Pondus Stand on arrival here. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we may be of assistance in liaising with exporting shippers on your behalf at the point of origin.
Contact us here at Colless Young if you have any queries regarding shipment of your containers and their weights, whether import or export. We are licensed Customs Brokers and International Freight Forwarders in Brisbane and handle trade, transport and shipping through all Australian ports and airports. Our services cover every aspect of logistics, including clearance of import cargo through customs and quarantine, warehousing and trucking.
