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UAE port giant ready to implement new safety standards

Xinhua, April 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

Dubai Ports (DP) World, the third largest global maritime port operator, said Thursday it is prepared to implement the new International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulation to be applied as of July 1, 2016.

In an e-mailed statement, DP World said the new regulation mandates that goods shippers must obtain the Verified Gross Mass (VGM) of export containers and promptly communicate it to ocean carriers before the ship stowage planning stage.

Ocean carriers and container terminal operators will be legally obliged to ensure that containers without a VGM are not loaded onto a ship in all 162 IMO member states required to enforce the new law.

DP World's global terminals will have certified weighing measures if this step is permitted under domestic adaption of implementing the SOLAS regulation.

Comprehensive weighing services will be offered for exporters to determine each container's VGM to ensure they comply with the new legislation.

The objective is to prevent serious accidents at sea caused by compromised ship stability owing to erroneous cargo weight declarations.

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, DP World Chairman and CEO, said that "All of DP World's over 70 terminals across six continents will be ready to meet the new mandate according to the legislation by July 1st, 2016, and we will have certified weighing solutions in place to serve IMO member states exporters where the company operates.

In support of global trade, DP World will offer its customers an efficient solution for the new mandatory international regulation. Safety of sea containers affords shippers increased security and peace of mind."

DP World handled 61.7 million twenty-foot equivalent units throughout its container terminals global portfolio in 2015, with gross container volumes showing a three percent growth.

DP World's shares are listed on Dubai's Nasdaq.

In 2015, the blue chip company generated a net income of 883 million U.S. dollars, up 30.7 percent year-on-year. Endit