ONLINE freight forwarder iContainers is
urging the container shipping industry to urgently tackle the issue of
misdeclared cargo that causes fires aboard ships.
The last two years have seen a growing number of serious
containership fires linked to shippers misdeclaring hazardous cargoes. The
blazes have claimed lives and resulted in hundreds of millions dollars worth of
damage to vessels and cargoes.
iContainers vice president Klaus Lysdal said
that it was imperative the problem was addressed urgently given that vessel
sizes are continuing to expand, with the largest containerships now being built
with capacities of 24,000 TEU, reported Seatrade Maritime News,
Colchester, Essex.
"At this point, forwarders are still taking shippers'
word for what's loaded in the container. But from a forwarder's perspective,
that tends to increase the risk that clients who are not well versed in
hazardous cargo and looking to ship it may come to forwarders. This puts the
forwarder at risk, especially if the shippers' paperwork is not in order,"
Mr Lysdal said.
"Some of the carriers' initial steps to increase fines
may help. But if this persists, it could result in mandatory manual inspections
or similar moves to protect against these types of issues. Something like that
would obviously lead to additional costs involved with shipping," he
warned.
Source : HKSG / Ilustrasi : YouTube..
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