ZIM Integrated Shipping Services, a leading container shipping carrier, and INTTRA, the world’s ocean shipping electronic marketplace, have announced ZIM’s implementation of the INTTRA eVGM Service, which will facilitate compliance by ZIM and its customers with the International Maritime Organization’s Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Verified Gross Mass (VGM) amendment.

The amendment requires all containers to have a VGM—or certified weight—in order to be loaded onto a ship.

The INTTRA eVGM Service provides the operational capabilities for digital submission, receipt, processing, and auditing of SOLAS-compliant VGMs for shippers and carriers. ZIM customers using INTTRA ecommerce solutions will be able to submit VGM information through a variety of channels, including EDI, XML, the web, mobile devices, and email.

ZIM operates a fleet of 80 vessels, calling over 180 ports across the world, and a network of more than 170 offices in over 100 countries. INTTRA is an information and service provider whose platform handles over 650,000 container orders per week, representing 24 percent of global ocean container trade.

“The eVGM solution now made available to our customers is part of our ongoing efforts to provide first-rate customer service, as part of our strategy and vision,” said Dudi Avni, ZIM’s vice president for customer service.

“We are pleased to extend our growing ecommerce partnership with ZIM,” said INTTRA’s president and chief operating officer Inna Kuznetsova. “Joining the INTTRA eVGM network will further ZIM’s impressive efforts to leverage IT in order to provide great customer service.”