Frequently Asked Questions



Silk Container Lines LTD is a freight forwarder or freight forwarding company used by businesses to arrange and handle the movement of domestic and international Air, Ocean or Ground shipments from point of origin to point of destination, as well as, to assist importers and exporters to transport their commercial goods from one international location to another. Silk Container Lines LTD ensures that goods arrive at the right location, on-time and on budget, by acting as an intermediary to ensure cooperation between the customer and all involved airlines and carriers. Core responsibilities are to identify the best routes, advise on various modes of transport, as well as, to negotiate freight rates with the airlines and carriers to move cargo economically, via the best shipment points.

A good freight forwarding service can save the client untold time and potential headaches while providing reliable transportation of products at competitive rates. A freight forwarding service is an asset to almost any company dealing in international transportation of goods, and is especially helpful when in-house resources are not versed in international shipping procedures.

Dangerous goods are solids, liquids or gases that are flammable, explosive or toxic to people, other living organisms, property or the environment. Manufacturers, shippers and transporters MUST know what they are shipping and properly identify, classify, pack, mark, label and document according to Transport Canada’s dangerous goods regulations.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO), announced the Verified Gross Mass (VGM) requirements under the amendments to chapter VI of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), will become mandatory on July 1st, 2016. SOLAS is an IMO (a United Nations specialized agency) treaty & generally regarded as the most important of all international maritime treaties concerning the safety & security of shipping & the prevention of marine pollution. Effective from July 1st, 2016, ocean carrier vessel operators & port terminal representatives in approximately 170 countries, will be prohibited from loading cargo shipping containers aboard a vessel for export, if the container’s gross mass has not been verified. Shippers are responsible for providing mandatory verification of the VGM for all packed cargo shipping containers, prior to tendering cargo & loading on a vessel. IMO guidelines state the Shipper is the entity or person named on the bill of lading or sea waybill. The Shipper is responsible for accurately recording, duly signing & authorizing the VGM data on the shipment documents & providing to ocean carrier vessel operators & port terminal representatives, for use in the ship stowage plans.

The regulation clearly stipulates that the shipper is responsible, being further defined as the shipper noted on the Bill of Lading (B/L). Since this can also be the freight forwarder, clear agreements as to the responsibility should be made between the parties involved. In the case of a consolidation, only the consolidator, which is not the original shipper, is in the position to provide the final weight.

Incoterms, short for ‘International Commercial Terms’, is a set of sales terms defined by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). They are widely used as a standard for international trade because they clarify the responsibilities between buyer and seller.