Maersk levy heavy charges for mis-declaring goods inside containers

COPENHAGEN : Mis-declaring weight of cargo in a container will now attract charges of $5,000 from the Danish shipping major Maersk.

The charges will be $15,000 for dangerous goods mis-declaration violation. Weight mis-declaration is a major issue as it may lead to cargo shifting or collapsing inside containers, leakages, chemical reactions, or fires, the line said.

The Danish shipping line in a trade notice said that since August 2019, Maersk has applied an administrative fee for mis-declared cargo to mitigate the severe risks associated with incorrect or incomplete declarations.

Serious issues
Mis-declarations of weight can lead to cargo shifting or collapsing inside containers; leakages, chemical reactions, or fires Explosions due to undeclared or prohibited materials; overstuffing beyond payload limits, compromising container integrity; mishandling arising from incorrect Verified Gross Mass (VGM) information and terminal safety incidents, vessel damage, or harm to crew.

Under Indian DG Shipping regulations, the maximum permissible deviation for VGM is ±1,000 kilograms from the declared weight, provided the payload capacity of the container is not exceeded. Any deviation beyond this range is considered a violation of SOLAS regulations, which are mandated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to ensure maritime safety through accurate weight declaration.

“Unfortunately, we continue to experience cases where commodities are booked under incorrect names. Dangerous goods are declared as non-dangerous cargo; bookings are later changed from dangerous goods to non-dangerous; goods containers are stuffed beyond payload capacity,” the line said. There is no data available on the number of cases reported on mid-declaration.

“VGM is declared with deviations from the actual weight. These changes is part of our ongoing efforts to uphold international shipping standards and strengthen compliance in critical areas of cargo operations,” the line added.

Accurate declarations —especially for weight and hazardous/dangerous cargo—are essential to avoid incidents and to enable safe, efficient planning for loading, stowage, and discharge. This revision further supports timely corrective actions whenever a non compliant shipment is identified, the line said.