The Ocean Network Express (ONE) announced today that any misrepresentation of cargo details for vessels west bound only at the time of booking would get struck with a penalty fee.
The penalty fee was said to call out the misrepresentation of cargo weight, deviating more or less than 3TON/TEU from the final Bill of Lading Instruction details and Verified Gross Mass (VGM) documentation. The Network specified that according to the VGM amendment, misdeclaration made after the VGM cutoff would also reel misdeclaration fees to the concerned shipments.
Starting on a July 1, 2022 booking date, the Weight Discrepancy Charge per container will be 2,000 USD.
ONE justified its adjustments and additional fees by saying, “The implementation of this misdeclaration penalty will support the operational safety for everyone in the cargo handling network, both onshore and aboard ship.” The Network continued firing justifications, adding that the penalty fee also assists them in safeguarding the ‘commercial integrity’ of its agreements with all of its customers.
The Network concluded its statement by reiterating to its customers that it is now necessary to ensure a solid ‘establish, check, and submit’ method before booking; if anything were to change by 3TON/TEU without proper notice, the penalty fee would be sure to kick in.
The Network emphasized its support for its customers one final time before signing off, saying that if any questions arise, be sure to contact the proper ONE representatives for additional information.
