Shanghai: P&I Club Skuld has warned that China continues to reject plenty of shipments of genetically modified yellow corn from the US. More than 1.4m tons of US corn shipments have been rejected since mid-November last year.
Agrisure Viptera, which goes by the code MIR 162 and is a strain of corn developed for insect resistance, is not allowed into China.
The manufacturer has submitted applications to the Chinese government for approval of MIR 162 several times since 2010 and although MIR 162 has been approved by most major markets including US and European Union, the application is still under Chinese government's review.
In order to prevent shipowners and charterers from suffering losses due to the shipper / voyage charterers' loading MIR 162 cargos, the following loss prevention advices are recommended by Skuld.
First, require the shipper/ voyage charterers to provide GMO certificates prior to loading. Secondly, get cargo samples tested well in advance prior to the vessel's arrival at the discharge port. Finally, put a warranty clause in the charterparty regarding the GMO content, so that there is a clear contractual responsibility for all consequences if traces of MIR 162 are found in the cargo at the discharge port. [11/09/14]
