Container selection for liquid chemicals, edible oils and bulk liquids, dangerous goods booking and destination market access.
Liquid cargo adds two variables to a dry cargo export: what it is carried in, and which vessel it is matched with. The same consignment of methanol in IBCs, steel drums or tank containers can differ markedly in unit cost, and the same vegetable oil in a flexitank or a food grade tank container can produce an opposite market access outcome. Flexitanks and tank containers do not overlap in scope either. Under industry practice a flexitank carries non-dangerous cargo only, and any liquid classified as dangerous goods under the IMDG Code has to move in a tank container or in packages. Get the container wrong and the booking, the documents and the discharge at the destination all have to be redone.
Container selection for liquid chemicals, edible oils and bulk liquids, dangerous goods booking and destination market access
Liquid bulk operations at a port: stainless steel tank containers, road tankers and insulated storage tanks. A tank container sits inside a 20-foot frame with its own discharge valve and can move by sea, rail and road; tankers handle the short-haul and land legs.
Classifying liquid cargo means looking at two things at once: the declaration basis determined by the commodity code, and the transport conditions determined by flash point, corrosivity and toxicity. The same substance at a different concentration can change both the classification and the containers available.
| Category | Typical HS Headings | Dangerous Goods Status | Usual Containers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base liquid chemicals (methanol, toluene, acetic acid, acetone, caustic soda liquor) | 2815, 2902, 2905, 2915 | Mostly Class 3 flammable liquids or Class 8 corrosive substances | Tank containers, IBCs, steel drums |
| Polymer monomers (styrene, acrylic acid, acrylonitrile) | 2902, 2916, 2926 | Class 3, most requiring inhibitor addition and temperature control | Stainless steel tank containers with insulation or heating coils |
| Vegetable oils, syrups, concentrated juices and alcohol | 1511 to 1515, 1702, 2009, 2204 | General cargo, but subject to food regulation | Food grade tank containers, food grade flexitanks, IBCs |
| Lubricating oils, base oils, white oils and plasticisers | 2710, 3403, 3812, 2917 | Mostly not dangerous goods | Tank containers, flexitanks, IBCs |
| Liquid asphalt, heavy fuel oil and liquid paraffin | 2713, 2715, 2710 | Judged by flash point, mostly Class 3 | Insulated tank containers, high temperature flexitanks |
| Liquid fertilisers and pesticide formulations | 3102, 3105, 3808 | Mostly Class 8 corrosive or Class 6.1 toxic | Plastic-lined steel drums, IBCs |
| Liquid sulphur and molten materials | 2503, 2811 and similar | Carried hot, mostly handled as Class 4.1 | Dedicated insulated tank containers, chemical tankers |
A flexitank is a large flexible bag laid inside a standard 20-foot container, and together with the container, the valve and the securing system it forms one loading system, with a standard capacity ceiling of 24 tonnes or 24,000 litres and common sizes between 16,000 and 24,000 litres. Its use cost is lower than a tank container: it needs only the one-way freight, with no empty repatriation or cleaning charge, and a single 20-foot container takes roughly 30% more than drummed cargo. The limits are equally clear: non-dangerous cargo only, single use, and unsuitable for rail, because shunting impact and lateral acceleration exceed the flexitank's design envelope and most markets do not approve flexitanks on rail.
An IBC holds 1,000 litres and a steel drum 200 litres, and both are conventional packagings for dangerous liquids. The advantage is that they do not depend on dedicated equipment, so any qualified stuffing point can handle them, which suits multi-product, small-lot and trial shipments. The drawback is that the packaging itself consumes weight and volume, filling and handling involve more steps, and the cost per tonne is higher than tank containers and flexitanks. When a packaging is selected for a dangerous liquid, whether the packing group is I, II or III determines the strength of the drum and the UN mark, and the choice cannot be made on volume alone.
A tank container puts a stainless steel tank inside a standard 20-foot frame with external dimensions identical to an ordinary container, 6,058 mm long, 2,438 mm wide and 2,591 mm high, and it can move by sea, rail and road. Common capacities are 21,000 to 27,000 litres, tare weight 3.6 to 4.5 tonnes and maximum payload up to 26 tonnes. The tank is 316L stainless steel with a discharge valve, a manhole and a pressure relief device, and insulation and steam heating coils can be added where the cargo has to be heated above its melting point before discharge. The compliance cost is not trivial: an intermediate inspection every 2.5 years and a periodic inspection every 5 years, and an out-of-date inspection bars the container from both port and road, with additional requirements for cleaning and previous cargo records.
Where the lot runs to several thousand tonnes and both the loading and discharging ports have dedicated terminals and storage tanks, a chemical tanker is more economical than tank containers. Such vessels are built and operated to the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk, which derives from SOLAS Chapter VII and MARPOL Annex II and applies to chemical tankers built after 1 July 1986. Chapter 17 of the Code is the list of minimum requirements, specifying for each product the ship type, tank type, venting system, electrical equipment, gauging method, vapour detection and firefighting equipment. The 2019 amendments took effect on 1 January 2021, adding 96 products and revising the transport conditions of about 670.
| Container | Capacity | Suited To | Main Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Container flexitank | 16,000 to 24,000 litres per 20-foot container | Non-dangerous liquids, including food grade categories | Single use, unsuitable for rail, and most carriers require case-by-case approval |
| IBC | 1,000 litres | Dangerous and non-dangerous liquids, multi-product small lots | Packaging consumes weight and volume, high cost per tonne |
| Steel drum | 200 litres | Small lots, trial shipments and samples | Most handling steps, strict packing group limits for dangerous goods |
| Tank container | 21,000 to 27,000 litres | Dangerous and non-dangerous liquids, heatable, intermodal | Requires periodic inspection and cleaning records, and tank depots and cleaning stations are a bottleneck |
| Chemical tanker | Several thousand tonnes and above | Large single-product lots with dedicated terminals at both ends | High minimum volume, subject to the IBC Code and MARPOL Annex II discharge limits |
Commercial invoice, packing list, export contract and customs declaration authorisation are the foundation. For liquid cargo the packing list has to state the net weight, gross weight, volume and packaging type of each package or tank, and for a tank container also the tank number, the inspection validity date and the previous cargo. Those figures carry through to the dangerous goods declaration, the bill of lading and the discharge at the destination, so an error at the front has to be corrected at every later step. Bulk liquid additionally involves measurement, with weight based on a weight certificate issued by a qualified body.
The report confirms whether the substance is a hazardous chemical, which class of dangerous goods it falls under and which packing group applies, and it is also the reference number that has to be cited in the manufacturer's declaration of conformity for export hazardous chemicals. The safety data sheet travels with the cargo, with a sample submitted for the export inspection declaration and a Chinese translation attached to any foreign language sample. Reports are issued per substance, so a change of formulation or concentration means a new report.
Packaged cargo needs both the performance test result and the use appraisal, and missing either one is not acceptable. A tank container has its own certificate system: the tank safety approval plate, the tank inspection certificate required by Chapter 6.7 of the IMDG Code, and valid intermediate and periodic inspection records. When a carrier reviews tank container cargo it looks at three things at once: whether the inspection is valid, whether the tank instruction covers that product, and whether the pressure relief and bottom discharge arrangements meet the requirements.
Containers for food and containers for chemicals follow two different sets of requirements. The materials of a food grade flexitank or tank container have to meet food contact requirements, usually evidenced by FDA certification, EU food contact compliance documents and industry food grade certification. A tank container or ship's tank also has to provide a cleaning certificate and a previous cargo declaration. Cross-border bulk shipment of edible oils is governed by previous cargo rules, which exist to keep residue from a previous chemical cargo out of food.
Previous cargo means the cargo carried in the same tank or ship's tank on the preceding shipment. The European Union permits edible oils to be imported in bulk in tanks that have carried substances on its acceptable list, provided the previous cargo falls within that list. The lists are maintained by different bodies with slightly different bases, and the three most commonly applied in practice are those of FOSFA, the Federation of Oils, Seeds and Fats Associations; FEDIOL, the EU vegetable oil and proteinmeal industry association; and NIOP, the US National Institute of Oilseed Products. In practice a certificate of tank cleanliness and suitability for the intended cargo issued by a member surveyor is required, with a master's certificate where necessary.
Classifying liquid cargo means looking at chemical structure, concentration and use. Inorganic liquids in Chapter 28 and organic liquids in Chapter 29 each have their own headings, and the same product name at a different purity can fall under different tariff lines; petroleum products such as lubricating and base oils fall in Chapter 27; and vegetable oils are listed in Chapter 15 by type and processing method. Declaration elements usually include the product name, composition, packaging specification, brand and model, and some tariff lines require the flash point or the use to be declared. These elements are not optional fields, and a missing item or an inaccurate entry means the declaration has to be amended.
Under GACC Announcement No. 129 of 2020, the shipper of export hazardous chemicals or its agent has to provide five items when declaring for inspection to customs: the manufacturer's declaration of conformity for export hazardous chemicals; the packaging performance test result for outbound goods, except for bulk products and those exempt from dangerous goods packaging under international rules; the hazardous properties classification and identification report; samples of the hazard communication label and the safety data sheet, with a Chinese translation for any foreign language sample; and, for products requiring added inhibitors or stabilisers, a statement of the name and quantity actually added. The announcement has applied since 10 January 2021.
Food exports run on a different line. Under the Measures for the Safety Administration of Imported and Exported Food of the People's Republic of China, an export food production enterprise has to file with the customs office where it is domiciled, and export food is subject to inspection and quarantine by customs at the place of origin. The enterprise also has to ensure that packaging and transport methods meet food safety requirements, and the transport packaging has to be marked with the enterprise filing number, product name, production batch number and production date. At declaration, an application for pre-declaration supervision is made to the customs office at the place of origin or consolidation, with the contract, invoice, packing list and factory certificate of conformity attached; customs forms an electronic ledger after a comprehensive assessment and issues the inspection and quarantine certificate to the importing country's requirements.
Dangerous liquid cargo is a frequent area for misdeclaration, most commonly declaring a liquid chemical as an oil, or one oil product as another. Under the Provisions on the Safety Supervision and Administration of the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Ship, the shipper has to provide cargo information and the safety data sheet truthfully, and the carrier has to check whether the cargo matches the cargo types approved in the ship's certificate of inspection; the provisions have applied since 1 March 2025. A false or concealed declaration affecting customs supervision is met with a warning or a fine of between CNY 1,000 and CNY 30,000 under the Implementing Regulations on Customs Administrative Penalties, and where export tax refund is involved the tax may also be recovered.
Carriers review under the IMDG Code, looking first at the class and UN number and then at the packing group and tank instruction. Tank instructions are shown as T codes, most commonly T11 for general chemicals and some Class 3 liquids where bottom discharge is permitted, and T14 for highly hazardous corrosive and toxic substances discharged from the top. A product assigned a particular T code may be carried in a tank of a higher class, but not the reverse. A single mismatch between the class, UN number, packing group and T code on the documents is enough for the booking request to be returned during review.
A flexitank is not accepted by default. Most carriers require the flexitank to come from a manufacturer holding valid quality certification, and treat whether the manufacturer is on the industry quality list as part of the risk assessment; the container used also has to meet the carrier's structural and cleanliness requirements. Some carriers accept flexitanks only on specific routes, or exclude particular categories outright. Acceptance policies are revised from time to time, so every consignment has to be confirmed against the current carrier's rules rather than the last booking experience.
Dangerous goods have stowage and segregation requirements on board, and acids and alkalis, oxidisers and flammables, and substances emitting flammable gas on contact with water cannot be freely mixed. In booking terms this becomes additional constraints on slot and hold position, and in peak season it can decide whether the consignment gets space at all. Dangerous goods and general cargo should not be mixed in the same container, because a mixed load is treated as dangerous goods throughout.
Booking requests for dangerous goods are normally made two to three weeks ahead, longer in peak season, because the carrier has to approve them separately and some ports and routes operate a dangerous goods space quota. Tank container cargo additionally requires the tank certificates and previous cargo information at booking, and an incomplete application does not enter the review. A booking confirmation does not mean the cargo has been approved to load, and prior approval for dangerous goods is a separate step that has to be completed before the tank or container is stuffed.
| Mode | Suited Cargo | Relative Advantage | Main Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full container by sea (tank container or flexitank) | Liquid cargo in the 20 to 26 tonne range | Low unit cost, controllable door to door, tank container reusable | Tank containers carry repatriation and cleaning costs and flexitanks take non-dangerous cargo only |
| Groupage by sea | Small and medium lots of packaged liquid | Low minimum volume, suited to trial shipments | Acceptance of dangerous liquids in groupage is very narrow and most carriers will not do it |
| Chemical tanker | Single products from several thousand tonnes | No packaging cost, suited to bulk | High minimum volume, dedicated terminal and storage needed at the destination |
| China-Europe rail | Medium lots of tank container cargo toward Europe | Better transit than sea, and tank containers can go on rail | Flexitanks are not acceptable and acceptance of dangerous goods depends on border point conditions |
| Air freight | High-value samples and urgent replenishment | Fastest transit | Highest unit cost, dangerous goods approved item by item under the IATA rules with strict unit limits |
| Cross-border road and tanker | Southeast Asia and Central Asia routes and domestic short haul | Door to door, suited to small lots and connecting legs | Distance limited, with strict transit permits and driver qualification requirements for dangerous goods |
Liquid cargo sources cluster around coastal petrochemical bases and inland coal chemical bases. Zibo, Dongying and Weifang in Shandong; Nanjing, Zhangjiagang, Taixing and Lianyungang in Jiangsu; Ningbo, Shangyu and Taizhou in Zhejiang; Huizhou, Maoming and Gaolan in Zhuhai, Guangdong; Dalian and Panjin in Liaoning; Cangzhou in Hebei; and Jinshan and Caojing in Shanghai make up the main sources of liquid chemicals. Vegetable oils and syrups load mainly from processing areas along the rivers and coast in Jiangsu, Shandong and Guangdong, and coal chemical liquids are concentrated in Ordos in Inner Mongolia and Ningdong in Ningxia.
Choosing a port for liquid cargo carries two more constraints than ordinary cargo. Dangerous goods need a qualified yard and stuffing point, and some ports manage dangerous goods operations by time window and quota; tank container cargo also depends on whether the loading port has a tank depot and a cleaning station, both of which are bottlenecks, and the absence of either causes the repatriation and turnaround cost of the tanks to jump. The traditional loading and discharging ports for coastal bulk liquid chemicals include Ningbo, Zhoushan, Dalian, Jiangyin, Quanzhou, Dongguan, Lianyungang, Yantai and Huizhou. Before booking, first confirm whether the loading port accepts that dangerous goods class in that container type, a step that comes before any comparison of freight rates.
Chemicals are subject to both REACH and CLP. REACH requires substances manufactured or imported at one tonne or more per year to be registered, and an unregistered substance may not be placed on the market, with further constraints from the candidate list of substances of very high concern and the Annex XVII restriction list. CLP governs classification, labelling and packaging, and the safety data sheet is prepared in the sixteen-section format. Food has a separate set of rules: where bulk edible oils enter the European Union in tanks that are not dedicated, the previous cargo has to fall within the EU acceptable list, under Commission Regulation (EU) No 579/2014, which grants a derogation from the dedicated requirement for the sea transport of liquid oils and fats in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs. Tank materials have to be stainless steel or epoxy coated, and containers and materials are further governed by food contact material regulations.
Chemicals are led by the Toxic Substances Control Act. Existing chemical substances have to be on the TSCA inventory, and new chemical substances require a premanufacture notice submitted ninety days before manufacture or import; section 8(a)(7) of the Act sets historical manufacture and import reporting obligations for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, with the reporting window opening during 2026. Bulk oils on the food side follow the previous cargo rules of the National Institute of Oilseed Products, with two lists: the first applies to oils that are edible as such or need only light processing, and the second to crude oils requiring further processing. Dangerous goods transport follows US Department of Transportation rules, and the classification of individual substances does not always match the maritime IMDG Code.
| Market | Main Thresholds | Practical Note |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | GHS requirements under the Chemical Substances Control Law and the Industrial Safety and Health Act, with a positive list system for food | Translating an EU format safety data sheet into Japanese does not satisfy the requirement; classification has to be redone to Japanese standards |
| Korea | K-REACH and the Chemical Substances Control Act, with safety data sheets in the Korean GHS format | From 1 July 2026 all safety data sheets have to follow the revised standard and the old MSDS format no longer applies |
| Southeast Asia | Lower tariffs, but handling and storage tank conditions for bulk food vary widely between countries | Check country by country whether the destination port has food grade tanks and measuring facilities |
| Middle East and Africa | Wide variation in tariffs and registration, with pre-shipment inspection in some countries | Check country by country rather than quoting on a regional average |
Quotations for liquid cargo usually differ because of the container plan, the tank container cost and the measurement basis. What really decides whether the shipment lands smoothly is the supplier's compliance and ability to perform.
Methanol is a Class 3 flammable liquid, UN1230, packing group II. The cargo moved in 21,000 litre tank containers with 316L stainless steel tanks and bottom discharge valves. Before filling, the tank inspection validity and the previous cargo were checked; the previous cargo was a non-dangerous vegetable oil and the cleaning certificate travelled with the shipment. The declaration was made as hazardous chemicals, with the manufacturer's declaration of conformity, the hazardous properties classification report, the tank container inspection certificate and a Chinese safety data sheet submitted. The Korean end required a Korean language safety data sheet in the local GHS format, provided electronically with the cargo.
A non-dangerous liquid shipped in 20-foot containers with food grade flexitanks, loaded to 24,000 litres. The flexitank manufacturer held industry quality certification and the containers used were confirmed by the carrier as meeting structural and cleanliness requirements. Discharge at the destination was by pump, with residual liquid kept under ten kilograms. Food grade materials were supplied with FDA and EU food contact documentation, and stuffing and filling records travelled with the cargo. The shipment moved by sea and road throughout, with no rail leg.
Styrene is a Category Y substance under MARPOL Annex II, and the tank temperature has to be monitored in transit to prevent a rise that would degrade the inhibitor and trigger polymerisation. Before filling, the inhibitor was confirmed as added in the contract quantity, with the addition record and a statement of its validity retained. Insulated tank containers were used and loading on a hot summer route was scheduled at night. In addition to the usual dangerous goods documents, an inhibitor certificate was attached stating the additive name, quantity, validity and temperature limit.
The volume was under a full container and groupage was the original plan, but after pricing with several consolidators it was confirmed that acceptance of Class 3 flammable liquids in groupage is very narrow, so the shipment moved as a full container. IBCs were selected to the packing group, with the UN mark on the drum matching the performance test result. The stuffing point held a dangerous goods operating qualification, photographs were taken during stuffing, and the container packing certificate travelled with the shipment. Moving to a full container meant locking in the space three weeks ahead, avoiding a peak season shortfall.
Asphalt has to be heated to a flowable viscosity before discharge, so the tank containers used steam heating coils, and the loading and discharging temperatures were given to the carrier at booking. The receiving conditions at the destination were confirmed before shipment: a discharge station able to supply steam or electric heating is required, and a port without heating facilities can only take drummed cargo. The difficulty with this shipment was not the sea leg but the heat source connection and the discharge time window at both ends.
A consignment of liquid chemicals used a leased tank container whose intermediate inspection had expired, which was not picked up at stuffing or declaration. After the cargo reached the destination port, the carrier rechecked the tank certificate and refused discharge. The outcome was on-site inspection and certificate replacement, with storage costs incurred and liquidated damages paid under the contract. The supplier has since set up a tank register recording the last inspection date and expiry date by tank number, with an alert one month before booking.
Liquid cargo exports fail at four points: container selection, tank container certificates, previous cargo and the dangerous goods declaration, each in a different part of the process. With one forwarder responsible for all four, the line of accountability is clear when something goes wrong.
Can a flexitank carry a dangerous liquid?
No. The industry definition of a flexitank states that it is used for compatible liquids that do not conflict with dangerous goods regulations, and a liquid classified as dangerous goods under the IMDG Code is not carried in a flexitank. This is not advice: most carriers treat it as a hard condition at approval. A dangerous liquid should move in a tank container or in packaged form.
How do I choose between a flexitank and a tank container?
By volume and by cargo. A flexitank holds 16,000 to 24,000 litres per container, needs only the one-way freight with no empty repatriation or cleaning charge, and suits volume exports of non-dangerous liquids; its limits are single use, no rail, and a greater dependence on container condition. A tank container holds 21,000 to 27,000 litres, is reusable, intermodal by sea, rail and road and can be fitted with heating coils, but carries repatriation and cleaning costs and is bound to inspection intervals. Choose a tank container for steady volumes of a single product that need intermodal movement, and a flexitank for a one-off, non-dangerous, sea-only shipment.
Can a flexitank go on rail?
It is not suitable. A flexitank is designed for the forces of road and sea transport, and shunting impact and lateral acceleration on rail exceed its envelope, so most markets do not approve flexitanks on rail. Industry practice confines flexitanks to road and sea. Where the supply chain includes a rail leg, switch to a tank container, which is designed for intermodal movement.
How often must a tank container be inspected?
An intermediate inspection every 2.5 years and a periodic inspection every 5 years, under Chapter 6.7 of the IMDG Code and the related international rules. Once the inspection has expired, the tank container cannot move through the port or on the road. Carriers check the inspection validity when reviewing tank container cargo, and an expired certificate leads to a refused booking or a refused discharge at the destination, and it cannot be corrected on the spot.
What does the T code on a tank container mean?
The T code is the UN tank instruction, set out in Chapter 6.7 of the IMDG Code, specifying the tank design conditions permitted for each dangerous goods entry, including minimum test pressure, minimum shell thickness, whether a bottom discharge opening is allowed and the arrangement of relief devices. The common ones are T11 for general chemicals and some Class 3 liquids where bottom discharge is permitted, and T14 for highly hazardous corrosive and toxic substances discharged from the top; gases use T50 and cryogenic liquefied gases T75. A product assigned a particular T code may be carried in a tank of a higher class, but not the reverse.
When is a chemical tanker the right choice?
Where the lot runs to several thousand tonnes and both the loading and discharging ports have dedicated terminals and storage tanks, a chemical tanker is more economical than tank containers and carries no packaging cost. Such vessels are built and operated to the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk, whose Chapter 17 specifies for each product the ship type, tank type, venting system and vapour detection requirements. Where the volume is lower, or the destination port has no receiving facilities, tank containers are the more realistic option.
What should be watched when exporting edible oils?
Food runs on the food line and follows food rules. The production enterprise has to file with the customs office where it is domiciled, export food is subject to inspection and quarantine by customs at origin, and the transport packaging has to be marked with the enterprise filing number, product name, production batch number and production date. On the container side, a cleaning certificate and previous cargo declaration are required, and the materials of a food grade flexitank or tank container have to meet food contact requirements. The destination country has its own previous cargo rules, and the European Union grants a derogation for bulk oils carried by sea under (EU) No 579/2014, on condition that the previous cargo falls within the acceptable list.
What is a previous cargo declaration and how is it prepared?
Previous cargo means the cargo carried in the same tank or ship's tank on the preceding shipment. The exporter has to provide a cleaning certificate and a previous cargo declaration listing the products carried on the three most recent voyages and check them item by item against the destination's lists. The European Union, the United States and international bodies each maintain acceptable and prohibited lists with slightly different bases; FOSFA separately issues a certificate of tank cleanliness and suitability, with a master's certificate where required. The lists are updated, and the version in force at the bill of lading date governs.
What materials are needed for the export inspection declaration on a dangerous liquid?
Under GACC Announcement No. 129 of 2020, the manufacturer's declaration of conformity for export hazardous chemicals; the packaging performance test result for outbound goods, except for bulk products and those exempt from dangerous goods packaging under international rules; the hazardous properties classification and identification report; samples of the hazard communication label and the safety data sheet, with a Chinese translation for any foreign language sample; and, for products requiring added inhibitors or stabilisers, a statement of the name and quantity actually added. The announcement has applied since 10 January 2021.
What formalities are needed for food exports?
Under the Measures for the Safety Administration of Imported and Exported Food of the People's Republic of China, an export food production enterprise has to file with the customs office where it is domiciled, and export food is subject to inspection and quarantine by customs at origin. At declaration, an application for pre-declaration supervision is made to the customs office at the place of origin or consolidation, with the contract, invoice, packing list and factory certificate of conformity attached, declared item by item by product name, specification, quantity and weight and production date. Once customs assesses it as conforming, an electronic ledger is created and an inspection and quarantine certificate is issued to the importing country's requirements.
Can a dangerous liquid move as groupage?
Acceptance is very narrow. Most carriers do not accept dangerous liquids in groupage, flammable liquids and toxic substances in particular, because the carrier has to segregate incompatible cargo and the repeated handling and stripping in groupage magnifies the risk. Where the volume is under a full container, first confirm with the consolidator whether it accepts that class and that packaging type rather than assuming it can be consolidated. The safer approach is to make up a full container or switch to a tank container.
How is bulk liquid measured, and what if the weights do not match?
Bulk liquid is priced by weight or volume, and a difference between the loading and discharging port measurements is normal, arising from temperature, density conversion and residual liquid in the tank. The usual practice is for a qualified body at the loading port to issue a weight certificate as the basis for the bill of lading and settlement, with the contract setting out the permitted tolerance and how any excess is handled. Ownership of residual liquid in the tank or ship's tank also has to be stated in the contract, otherwise a dispute easily arises after discharge.
How far ahead should liquid cargo be booked, and what has to be submitted?
Booking requests for dangerous goods are normally made two to three weeks ahead, longer in peak season, because the carrier has to approve them separately and some ports and routes operate a dangerous goods space quota. The documents usually required are the hazardous properties classification report, packaging evidence or tank container certificates, the safety data sheet and the dangerous goods declaration; where a tank container is used, the tank number, T code and previous cargo information are also required. A booking confirmation does not mean the cargo has been approved to load, and prior approval for dangerous goods is a separate step.
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