ECOM AGROINDUSTRIAL CORP. LTD.
Best Practice Pre-shipment Instructions – Containers January 2017 A) Origin pre-shipment sampling:
All testing to be carried out by appropriately qualified persons designated by ECOM at Seller’s cost. Equipment to be used for moisture testing is the ‘Aqua Boy’ for individual bags with a composite sample from each 25 MT lot to be tested using ‘Dickey John’. The moisture meters must be calibrated to “Tropical Conditions” and certified annually. 100% of bags must be tested for moisture levels by Aqua Boy probe test from every 25 MT lot immediately prior to stuffing into export container. If found to be over 7% moisture the bags are to be rejected. No bags having over 7% moisture can be loaded. . (Please note that probe tests are considered to read 1% lower that cup tests so are less reliable) The party carrying out the testing will record and submit reports (format to be agreed by ECOM) of the results on a weekly basis to the Rekerdres claims manager – [email protected] B) Container inspections: External: There are to be minimum dents, no holes or splits. If present - reject. Look for International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) code labels and if present - reject the container. Look also for any indication of labels having been present / areas painted over on the sides of containers and if suspected – reject.
Internal: No rust, foreign odours, foreign substances or dirty floors and if present - reject. Floor moisture levels to be checked in 9 areas throughout the container and if found to be above 12% at any testing point - reject. If doors seals are missing or do not seal correctly – reject. Holes – reject. Vents to be left open unless otherwise instructed.
All containers should be fumigated before use.
C) Dressing Systems:
“U Box” System:
Supplied by Deisterwelle Wellpappenwerk in Germany: This system effectively creates a closed heavy duty corrugated cardboard carton within the container. One Box comprises 7 sections (assuming a 40’ container). Each section is pre- folded on to in the correct order for ease of installation. Each set comes complete with heavy duty tape to seal joints etc. All the cardboard used is virgin material to avoid issues with MOSH & MOAH. The first section is, on a large scale, similar to the closing flaps on any carton. In this case, the section is placed in the front of the container and unfolded. This section provides the
Mailing address : Av. Etienne Guillemin 16 - Case postale 64 - CH-1009 Pully - Switzerland Tél.: 41 (0)58 721 72 10 – Fax: 41 (0)58 721 72 00
ECOM AGROINDUSTRIAL CORP. LTD. cover for the complete front wall, and provides the start of the coverings for the side walls and ceiling. It also has a floor section making the whole section rigid and so it does not require any strengthening agents to stand and stay in place. The second to sixth sections are all identical and are all fixed in the same manner. Each section is “U” shaped and is placed in to the container, overlapping the previous section by up to 10cm. The join across the ceiling and down about 1 meter of each side wall is “sealed” using the heavy duty tape. The lower part of the wall join should be effectively sealed by the weight of the cocoa bags. The installers may find they need to use some small strips of tape to hold the leading edge to the walls pending the next section being placed and sealed in place. Use of restraining tape at the bottom of each section will probably be essential during installation. The final section is a mirror image to the first. This means the folding end sections, which will be immediately inside the container doors will extend out of the container until the container is loaded. It is important that this section is not damaged during the loading process as the flaps are imperative to creating the closed box.
Hyblanket System:
Supplied by Eurolog Packing Group (www.hydry.com) This system can be used in 2 different ways; firstly a Hyblanket suspended from the container roof, coupled with a “Kitbond” hydrophilic film lining the container walls, and secondly the same Hyblanket under the roof combined with a corrugated cardboard wall lining. The Hyblanket comprises an impervious membrane overlaid with a desiccant gel formula overlaid with a pervious membrane. As condensation forms and drops down on to the Hyblanket the water passes through the pervious membrane and is captured and retained in the desiccant gel. The Hyblanket is secured to a hanging string (provided) which is threaded though the cargo loops around the top of the container. The Hyblanket is clipped (clips supplied) on to this string, then tensioned using tensioning tapes provide in each corner of the blanket. It is suggested that the blanket is additionally supported at each short end by running a taut string across the container at both ends to create a “pond” concept which should help to restrict free water running over the ends of the blanket and on to the cargo. The walls of the container can either be lined with cardboard sheets, folded appropriately to cover the front wall and inside the container doors. These sheets must be 100% virgin material, to protect against MOSH & MOAH impact. Additional sheets can be placed on the top of the bags if so required. The alternative wall linings can be supplied with the Hyblanket itself. This “Kitbond” lining consists of 2 membranes which are hung together using clips (supplied) and clipping the lining to the container cargo hooks. The wall linings are not pre-perforated so can be used even if a container is not standardised. The inner membrane, immediately adjacent to the cocoa bags is impregnated with anti-mould agents, and will allow moisture to pass through towards the steel container wall but not in reverse. Between this membrane and the container wall is a second membrane which retains water. Again, if so required cardboard sheets can be placed on to the top of the bags as additional protection. A cardboard sheet will be required inside the container doors as standard.
Mailing address : Av. Etienne Guillemin 16 - Case postale 64 - CH-1009 Pully - Switzerland Tél.: 41 (0)58 721 72 10 – Fax: 41 (0)58 721 72 00
ECOM AGROINDUSTRIAL CORP. LTD.
Cardboard & Dry Bags:
The corrugated cardboard supplied must be virgin material, free of mineral oil and a certificate issued by an accredited laboratory is to be presented prior to loading to confirm this. Dressing of containers must be done as close to stuffing as possible. Double wall corrugated cardboard or two single wall corrugated cardboard are to be used to cover all containers surfaces and to be long enough to fold round the bags to overlap in front of the door area. There must be no gaps, the cardboard to overlap or be taped where sheets but up against each other. A layer of double wall corrugated cardboard or two single wall corrugated cardboard are to be placed over top layer of bags. This should overlap and leave no exposed gaps at the side The brand/type/ingredients of the dry bags to be used must be approved by Ecom prior to loading and be at least within 3 months of the expiry date at time of shipment. Multiple dry bags are to be uniformly positioned overhead in 40’ containers. Dry bags are to be fixed into containers with the following quantities to be used; o West Africa to Europe- minimum of 52 kg of desiccant (calcium chloride), o West Africa to Far East - minimum of 80 kg of desiccant (calcium chloride). If using 20’ containers 50% of the above desiccant requirement.
D) Configuration of bags in containers
Containers must be dressed exactly as directed with as little metal surface showing as possible. Any ventilation holes, however few or small should not be covered or taped over. A minimum of 200 bags should be loaded in a 20’ container and 400 bags in a 40’ container. The bags should be stowed lengthwise in the container i.e. the mouth or base of the bag should face the container front or doors. Only 4 bags should be placed across the width of a container on the bottom layer. An even space should be left along both sides of the container along the entire length. The second and subsequent layers should be 5 bags wide. At little space as possible should be left between the bags in the container. No bag should ever be in direct contact with the metal surfaces of the container. Throughout loading, records should be kept of the container details, loaded quality, number of bags and weight, the date of loading, time started and time completed. If possible any third party warehouse agent, forwarder, haulier etc. should also sign the records. No wooden dunnage should ever be used on the container floor.
Mailing address : Av. Etienne Guillemin 16 - Case postale 64 - CH-1009 Pully - Switzerland Tél.: 41 (0)58 721 72 10 – Fax: 41 (0)58 721 72 00
ECOM AGROINDUSTRIAL CORP. LTD.
E) Transportation to the container terminal:
Once the container has been loaded and sealed transportation to the port terminal is to be arranged immediately. All cocoa shall be properly packed (as per the contract, these instructions and the applicable trade rules) and secured by Seller to enable them to reach their destination in good condition and be accompanied by all relevant shipping and delivery documentation (including without limitation consignment notes and bills of lading) specifying the documents, the order number and any special storage instructions. F) Issuing of Bills of Lading:
ECOM can only accept full sets of original, clean, shipped on board bills of lading. ECOM does not accept ‘received for shipment’ bills of lading or endorsed B/L. The maximum quantity to be loaded under an individual bill of lading is 250 MT unless otherwise instructed.
Mailing address : Av. Etienne Guillemin 16 - Case postale 64 - CH-1009 Pully - Switzerland Tél.: 41 (0)58 721 72 10 – Fax: 41 (0)58 721 72 00