Container Fire Exposes Cargo Mislabelling, US Coast Guard In Action

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  • A container fire at the Port of Los Angeles on March 4 has exposed cargo mislabelling that saw lithium-ion batteries declared on the bill of lading as synthetic resins, say US Coast Guard officials.
  • As a result, the Coast Guard is working with the shipper, the port, US Customs and Border Protection, and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration to identify and inspect all of the shipper’s containers at the port.

A recent news article published in the Splash 247 by Kim Biggar states that mislabelled cargo in box that caught fire at Port of LA leads Coast Guard to inspect all of shipper’s containers.

Fire wasn’t serious

The fire, in a container at the WBCT Terminal, “wasn’t serious,” said Coast Guard Petty Officer Richard Brahm, and was quickly put out by the LA City Fire Department.

However, all containers linked to the same shipper will be inspected, “just to be safe,” said Brahm.

The number of containers, all apparently bound for China, is believed to be 48.

Who is responsible for the labelling error?

The Coast Guard has not named the shipper, because officials have not yet determined who is responsible for the labelling error.

Brahm did say, though, that “we don’t think this was anything nefarious at the moment.”

The Coast Guard has placed a hold on containers from the shipper until the cargo is proven to comply with safety regulations.

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Source: Splash247