UN 3077 cargoes and the IMSBC Code – are tripartite agreements necessa...

UN 3077 cargoes and the IMSBC Code – are tripartite agreements necessary?

Published: 18 January 2024

We often receive enquiries about UN 3077 cargoes, most recently about whether a tripartite agreement is required for such cargoes under the IMSBC Code.

The long and short answer is that it all depends on the cargo in question.

There are no cargoes currently listed in the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code that carry the UN number 3077, which are substances that are environmentally hazardous (EHS) and IMO-classed 9 dangerous goods (miscellaneous substances) under the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG).

It is intentionally done so that substances that are called EHS are meant only for packaged goods and not for solid bulk cargoes. Also, the IMSBC Code uses another terminology to address substances that are hazardous to the marine environment and a separate set of criteria. That is substances harmful to the marine environment (HME) which was developed under Annex V of MARPOL.

How does this affect a shipment when you have a cargo that carries this UN number and you need to ship it under the IMSBC Code? Enquiries were raised as to whether a tripartite agreement was required in this instance. In our cargo section, we provide our view, “Carriage requirements under the IMSBC Code for UN 3077 cargoes”. It has now been updated to include our opinion on how and when tripartite agreements will play a part. For a quick reference, please refer to our Cargo Questions “ UN 3077 Solid Bulk Cargoes”.

The cargo section of the BIMCO website is only available to members – please remember to log in using the orange button at the top of the website. If you are from a member organisation but do not yet have your own account, you can create one after you click on the login button. If you are not a member, you can read more about member benefits and how to join.

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