The Malta Maritime Forum held talks with Transport Malta in connection with the impending introduction of the new SOLAS Regulations and their impact on Maltese exports.

From July 1, the International Maritime Organisation will bring into force the new regulations applying to cargo that is carried in containers. Exporters from any country, including Malta, will now be obliged to declare the mass gross weight of their container and the cargo loaded inside, before the container can be given access to the terminal to be loaded on board a vessel.

These international regulations were agreed upon by all member countries as a measure to prevent loss of lives and ships at sea as a result of cargo weights which were not declared correctly and which therefore affected the stability of the vessels.

These international regulations were agreed upon by all member countries as a measure to prevent loss of lives and ships at sea

Maltese exporters utilising containers for the export of their products will be required to submit a declaration to the shipping line with whom they are booking their cargoes, stating the container tare weight as well as the weight of the cargo.

The weighing of the containers and the cargo has to be undertaken at the premises of the exporter, if these are approved to issue such a declaration, or through a weighbridge that is officially certified by the respective authority in Malta, namely the MCCAA. The regulations emphasise that the weight declaration cannot be based on an estimation but has to be on the result of an actual weighing exercise.

Whereas the shipping lines catering for Maltese exports are issuing their respective directions to their clients through their local representatives, Transport Malta has also taken the lead of organising meetings with the main stakeholders, including representatives of exporters, to guide on the implementation of these new regulations.

The Malta Maritime Forum, on its part, continues to monitor the developments resulting from these regulations both locally and overseas and invites all stakeholders to work together to ensure that Maltese exports are not negatively effected through the introduction of these new regulations.

Any stakeholder wishing further information on these regulations can contact the Maritime Forum on 2165 7053 or by sending an e-mail to admin@mmf.org.mt.