Shipping giant Maersk announced on Monday an update to its Weight Discrepancy Fee (WDF) rules for the Asia Pacific region, effective immediately.
The company said in a statement that the revision, dated April 14, 2025, aims to further enhance the safety of its operations and improve the reliability of its network.
The WDF, which was initially implemented on October 15, 2024, applies globally to all origins and covers various container types including dry, reefer, open top, flat rack, and tank containers.
Under the updated rules, a fee of $300 USD per container will be levied if the difference between the Verified Gross Mass (VGM) weight and the submitted Shipping Instructions (SI) weight exceeds 3,000 kilograms for most container types and 5,000 kilograms for tank containers. The discrepancy will be measured based on the first SI submission.
Maersk also stated that the WDF will be applicable if the VGM weight exceeds the container’s maximum gross weight or is less than the container’s tare weight.
The company emphasized that these changes are part of its ongoing commitment to ensuring compliance with international shipping standards and improving operational efficiency by ensuring accurate weight declarations for safer vessel loading and discharge.
What Readers Say: This move by Maersk underscores the increasing focus on operational safety and efficiency within the shipping industry. While the updated weight discrepancy fee could add costs for some shippers, it ultimately aims to ensure safer handling of cargo and potentially reduce delays or incidents caused by inaccurate weight declarations. It reflects a broader industry trend towards stricter compliance and data accuracy in logistics.