The Carriage of Seed Cake Cargoes Under the IMSBC Code 2020 Edition

The IMSBC Code’s 2020 Edition made a significant change to how seed cake cargoes are classified – and it’s one that’s easy to miss until a cargo declaration lands on a Master’s desk that doesn’t quite add up.

Where seed cake schedules were once relatively straightforward, shippers now have five to choose from, spanning everything from cargoes requiring special permission to those with no hazard classification at all.

The criteria for selecting the right one are more complex than before, and the documentation requirements – particularly for the new MHB and Group C schedules – leave real gaps.

In some cases, a Master presented with a cargo declaration has no reliable way to verify the classification being claimed.

For P&I correspondents, H&M underwriters, and anyone involved in the carriage of feedstuffs, oilseed residues, or similar bulk commodities, this creates a genuine risk of disputes – and, as our experience shows, cargoes classified as lower-hazard can still self-heat and cause damage on board.

Our Cargo Science team sets out exactly what’s changed, where the confusion is likely to arise, and what shippers, Masters, and surveyors should be asking for.

Download the full briefing below.