The ocean carrier NYK Line has joined the rapidly growing INTTRA eVGM network for facilitating compliance with new container weight requirements adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which went into effect on July 1, 2016.

NYK is offering the INTTRA eVGM Service to customers as one solution via which they can exchange and process the container weight information required to meet the IMO’s Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Verified Gross Mass (VGM) requirement. Under SOLAS VGM, every container must have a VGM—or certified weight—to be loaded onto a ship.

“Differentiation through technology is central to the strategy of our company, and INTTRA is a key technology partner,” said Lincoln Leung, Head of Global Business Process Management at NYK Line. “The flexibility of the INTTRA eVGM solution enhances our range of customer solutions relating to SOLAS VGM, and we will benefit from the efficiencies of standardization.”

“NYK’s selection of INTTRA’s eVGM network is another signal that the world’s leading carriers and freight forwarders are coalescing around a common compliance solution,” added Jim Whalen, INTTRA’s Asia President.

The INTTRA eVGM Service provides the operational capabilities for digital submission, receipt, processing, and auditing of SOLAS-compliant VGMs for shippers and carriers. INTTRA eVGM enables the exchange of VGMs with multiple carriers in a standardized way through a single channel. The service supports VGM submissions without requiring changes to the process of booking containers or providing shipping instructions. Users can transact via EDI, web service, web online, or mobile formats.