The recovery of the world economy in recent years has boosted international trade activities, in which sea transportation plays a key role and is still developing very strongly.

Sea transportation has some advantages that other modes of transportation do not have, such as the ability to transport large quantities, cheap freight, less collisions due to open traffic routes on sea, ability to transport the bulky goods.

Along with the above advantages, this mode of transportation also has some disadvantages, such as slow speed, easy to be affected by the weather when traveling through different type of climates (sunlight, rain, snow...) and risks of sea water overflow that causes damage to cargo. That’s why sea carriers pay serious attention to the packing and stowage of cargo with the right specifications and technical standards to minimize the potential loss during transportation.

In this article, we would like to recommend some notes for packaging and preparation of export cargoes (including stowage in a container) when the carriers select sea transportation. Details as follows:

1. Notes for cargo packing:

a) The size of the packages is appropriate to the nature and material of the products inside (e.g. plastic, wood, metal ...) and convenient when they are stored, put on pallets or packed in containers; the bags can be stacked

b) Able to withstand the changes of climate and weather on the sea itinerary and the final destination;

c) Meet the requirements of durability, toughness to withstand the collision, dragging, pushing during storage, loading and unloading process;

d) Ensure the product protection feature of packages so that products are not infected by the smells, fusty or damaged;

e) Handling instruction for stowage, transporting, loading and unloading must be stated clearly on the cargo’s packaging.

f) Use a suitable lashing strap, with no signs of wear or cuts; do not tie a not on lanyard.

g) Use suitable pallets for the cargoes (e.g. wooden pallets is suitable for heavy, reusable items; plastic pallets have some features as low weight, moisture / corrosion resistant, anti-slip surface; and cardboard pallets have light weight, is recyclable but not suitable for heavy cargoes).

h) Apply measures to protect cargoes such as vertical edge protectors, using cardboards to shield cargoes, tighten cargoes so that the cargoes cannot easily move inside.

2. Notes for stowage in containers:

a) Select a container with a suitable size for cargoes and cargoes must be placed balance on the floor area of ​​the container; pay special attention to the maximum weight of containers in order to arrange cargoes in the most scientific way, ensure that the total weight of cargoes is smaller than the permitted weight of containers;

b) For items prone to mold, oxidation, it is recommended to use pads on the floor to avoid direct contact with container floors;

c) Heavy cargoes are placed under, while light, dry cargoes are placed above. Cargoes must be arranged close to each other, do not leave gaps between the packages of cargoes (if there are gaps between the packages, it is necessary to use dunnage tools such as airbags, etc.).

d) Carefully check the outer surface of the container to find any damage or hole, avoiding the risk of rainwater and seawater intrusion causing damage to cargoes.