Vessel cargo

Transporting non-dangerous goods by waterways and sea including regulations, guidance, funding opportunities, statistics.

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Services

• Shipping non-dangerous goods abroad by air or sea: standard shipping note

  Use a standard shipping note for shipping non-dangerous goods overseas by either air or water.

• Indicative application document for container weight approval

  Indicative application document

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Guidance and regulation

• Guidance: Container Packing Certificated on Dangerous Goods Notes
  • Detailed guide
  • 9 February 2018
  • Maritime and Coastguard Agency
• MGN 60 (M) Code of safe practice for solid bulk cargoes: amendment
  • Guidance
  • 28 February 1998
  • Maritime and Coastguard Agency
• Apply for grant funding to transport freight by rail and water
  • Guidance
  • 4 February 2025
  • Department for Transport
• Verification of the gross mass of packed containers by sea
  • Guidance
  • 28 April 2020
  • Maritime and Coastguard Agency
• MGN 534 (M+F) Cargo Safety: Verifying gross mass of containers
  • Guidance
  • 12 May 2016
  • Maritime and Coastguard Agency

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News and communications

• Celebrating the Seas-on of Christmas
  • 21 December 2023
  • Department for Transport
  • News story
• New industry and government forum launched to boost freight decarbonisation and innovation
  • 5 April 2023
  • Department for Transport
  • News story
• Future of freight plan
  • 15 June 2022
  • Department for Transport
  • Written statement
• Boost for freight as government unveils major new plan to bolster supply chain
  • 15 June 2022
  • Department for Transport and Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
  • News story
• Seafarer minimum wage laws set sail
  • 10 May 2022
  • Department for Transport and Closed organisation: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
  • News story

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Research and statistics

• UK port freight traffic: 2024 forecasts
  • 21 August 2025
  • Department for Transport
  • Research
• Options for changes to revenue support freight grant schemes
  • 21 January 2019
  • Department for Transport
  • Research
• Domestic waterborne freight: 2016
  • 13 December 2017
  • Department for Transport
  • National statistics
• Safety lessons: safe carriage of solid bulk cargoes on ships
  • 7 December 2017
  • Marine Accident Investigation Branch
  • Research
• Ship to Ship Transfer Regulations: post implementation review
  • 7 July 2017
  • Department for Transport, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and Regulatory Policy Committee
  • Research

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Policy papers and consultations

• Mode Shift Revenue Support Scheme: administrative changes
  • 17 February 2016
  • Department for Transport
  • Consultation outcome
  • Date closed 01 February 2016
• Mode shift grants review
  • 4 February 2025
  • Department for Transport
  • Call for evidence outcome
• Draft legislation: The Excise Goods (Aircraft and Ship’s Stores) Regulations 2015
  • 12 December 2014
  • HM Revenue & Customs
  • Policy paper

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Organisations

• Department for Transport
• Maritime & Coastguard Agency
• Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency
• HM Revenue & Customs

• Marine Accident Investigation Branch

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• Regulatory Policy Committee