The rule in one paragraph
Under SOLAS Chapter VI, Regulation 2, as amended and in force since 1 July 2016, a packed container may not be loaded onto a ship unless its verified gross mass has been declared to the carrier and the terminal in advance. The rule followed a series of incidents in which misdeclared container weights contributed to stack collapses, crane failures and loss of vessel stability.
The verified gross mass is the total weight of the container: the cargo, all packing, dunnage, securing material and the container's own tare. It is not the cargo weight, and it is not the figure on your commercial invoice.
Who has to declare
The obligation sits with the shipper named on the bill of lading. Not the packer, not the transporter, not the freight forwarder, and not us. If your company is named as shipper, the declaration is yours and so is the liability for its accuracy.
You can delegate the work. Brokers, consolidators and terminals routinely prepare and submit the figure on a shipper's behalf, and we do this for clients every week. What you cannot delegate is responsibility for the number being right.
For LCL, the consolidator packing the container declares the VGM for the whole box, but that figure is built from the weights each shipper provides. If your cargo weight is wrong, you have made the consolidator's declaration wrong.
The two permitted methods
| Method | How it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Method 1 Weigh the packed container |
Weigh the sealed, packed container on a calibrated weighbridge. If weighed on a vehicle, deduct the tractor, trailer and fuel. | Most exporters. Simple, one figure, easy to evidence. |
| Method 2 Weigh and add up |
Weigh all cargo items, packaging, pallets, dunnage and securing material, then add the container's tare weight from its CSC plate. | Homogeneous cargo of known unit weight, or where no weighbridge is close by. |
Method 2 requires a documented, certifiable process rather than an estimate. Some administrations require the shipper's process to be approved before it can be used. Estimating a rubber consignment from a nominal bag weight is not Method 2 — it is a guess wearing a method's name.
Tare weight is not a guess
The single most common error in Method 2 is the tare. Every container's tare is stamped on the CSC safety approval plate on the door and stencilled on the door itself. It varies between boxes of the same nominal type — repairs, flooring and age all change it.
A 40-foot high cube typically weighs somewhere around 3,700 to 3,900 kg empty. Using a generic figure from a table instead of the number on the box in front of you can throw your declaration out by hundreds of kilograms, and on a heavy load that is enough to matter.
Deadlines
There are two different cut-offs and they are easy to confuse.
- VGM cut-off — the deadline to submit the weight data to the carrier and terminal. It usually falls before the physical closing.
- CY cut-off — the deadline for the container itself to be inside the terminal.
Both are set per vessel by the line, and they move. Miss the VGM cut-off and the terminal system will simply not accept the box for loading, even if the container is physically sitting in the yard on time.
What happens when it is wrong
Nothing dramatic, usually. Something expensive, often.
- No VGM submitted — the container is not loaded. It rolls to the next vessel, and you pay storage and possibly detention while it waits.
- Weight outside tolerance — terminals weigh containers on gate-in. A significant discrepancy against your declaration puts the box on hold pending amendment, with amendment and re-weighing charges.
- Repeated or serious misdeclaration — this becomes a compliance matter with the carrier and the administration, not just a fee.
A tolerance between the declared VGM and the weight recorded at the terminal is generally applied, but the figure is not uniform. It varies between administrations, carriers and terminals, and published figures circulating online disagree with each other. Do not plan around a number you read somewhere. Ask the line handling your booking what tolerance applies, and treat the declaration as something to get right rather than something to get close to.
Filing at Indian ports
In India the VGM is submitted electronically as part of the export gate-in documentation, and terminals record the weight of containers received. Where the recorded weight differs from the declaration, terminals apply charges under their published scale of rates for the amendment.
Weighing is generally arranged off-site rather than at the terminal gate, to avoid congestion. Practically, this means the weighbridge is part of your export plan, not an afterthought at the port.
Keep your weighing records. A calibrated weighbridge slip tied to the container number is what turns a declaration into a defensible one.
Common questions
Does VGM apply to imports?
The declaration obligation applies to containers being loaded onto a ship, so it falls on the export side. As an importer you receive cargo whose VGM was declared at origin, though the weight still matters to you for road transport and unloading.
Does VGM apply to LCL shipments?
Yes, at container level. The consolidator declares the verified gross mass for the packed container, using the weights supplied by each shipper in it. Your obligation is to give the consolidator an accurate weight for your part of the load.
Can our customs broker submit the VGM for us?
Yes, and we do for clients regularly. The submission can be delegated; legal responsibility for the accuracy of the figure stays with the shipper named on the bill of lading.
What if the weighbridge slip and the invoice weight disagree?
The weighbridge governs the VGM, because VGM is the actual mass of the packed container including packing and tare. A difference is normal. A large unexplained difference is worth investigating before the box moves.