The Port of Felixstowe has confirmed that it will offer a container weighing service to ensure UK shippers are able to comply with new international regulations that will come into effect on 1 July 2016.

Commenting on the new service, Stephen Abraham, Chief Operating Officer of Port of Felixstowe, said:
“We have met with many customers and from their feedback it is clear that there is still a lot of uncertainty amongst exporters about the new rules.

“The rules have the potential to cause significant disruption to export supply chains. To help avoid this we have decided to provide a service where export containers can be weighed at the port before being loaded. We will provide further details about how the weighing service will work in good time to ensure all exporters can be compliant by the time the new rules come into force.”

From July, an amendment to the SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) Convention will require every export container carrying cargo to have its weight verified before it is loaded on to a ship.

The Port of Felixstowe has taken a leading role in the consultation exercise by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on the implementation of the rules in the UK.

The service at the port will be available to containers arriving either by road or rail. The Port of Felixstowe is the UK’s largest intermodal rail terminal and 40% of all laden export containers arrive at the port by rail.

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Notes to Editors:
For further information, please contact Paul Davey, Head of Corporate Affairs, on Tel No: +44 (0)1394 602063 or E-mail: daveyps@hpuk.co.uk / www.portoffelixstowe.co.uk

Port of Felixstowe (PFL) is strategically located on the UK’s southeast coast and within easy reach of major ports in northwest Europe. As Britain’s busiest container port and one of the largest in Europe, over 40 percent of the UK’s containerised trade passes through the Port.

PFL is a member of Hutchison Port Holdings Limited (HPH), the port and related services division of CK Hutchison Holdings Limited (CK Hutchison). HPH is the world’s leading port investor, developer and operator with a network of port operations comprising 319 berths in 52 ports, spanning 26 countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Australasia. Over the years, HPH has expanded into other logistics and transportation-related businesses, including cruise ship terminals, airport operations, distribution centres, rail services and ship repair facilities.