The Merchant Shipping (Carriage of Cargoes) Regulations 1997

Cargo information

4.—(1) The shipper shall (subject to paragraph (4) below) provide to the operator or master appropriate cargo information sufficiently in advance of loading to enable the precautions which may be necessary for proper stowage and safe carriage of the cargo to be put into effect. The cargo information shall include:

(a) in the case of general cargo, and cargo carried in cargo units, a general description of the cargo, the gross mass of the cargo or cargo units, and any relevant special properties of the cargo;

(b) in the case of bulk cargoes, information on the stowage factor of the cargo, the trimming procedures and, in the case of a concentrate or other cargo which may liquefy, additional information in the form of a certificate indicating the moisture content of the cargo and its transportable moisture limit;

(c) in the case of bulk cargoes which are not classified in accordance with Regulation VII/2 of the SOLAS Convention, but have chemical properties that may create a potential hazard, information on its chemical properties in addition to that required by paragraph (1)(b).

(2) The information shall be confirmed in writing and by appropriate shipping documents prior to loading the cargo on the ship.

(3) In preparing cargo units for carriage by ships, the shipper or, as the case may be, the forwarder shall ensure that the gross mass of such units is in accordance with the gross mass declared on the shipping documents.

(4) Where the shipper does not deliver the cargo to the ship or its agent he shall provide the forwarder with such cargo information.

(5) If the shipper does not deliver the cargo to the ship or its agent it shall be the duty of the forwarder to provide the operator or master with the appropriate cargo information.

(6) If a shipper or forwarder fails to provide appropriate cargo information as required by this regulation, or furnishes cargo information which he knows or ought to have known to be false, he shall be guilty of an offence.

(7) If an operator or master accepts for carriage, or takes or receives on board any cargo for which appropriate cargo information as required by this regulation has not been furnished, he shall be guilty of an offence.