Cargo Shortage Dispute: Investigation Update on Vessel [Vessel Name] at Dongjiakou Port

Further to the subject case, we would like to update as follows for your kind reference:

1. Survey Attendance

After getting the survey instruction in the evening of Apr 26, our surveyor rushed to Dongjiakou port without delay. Upon our arrival around 2250hrs Apr 26, we were advised by the agent that the Pilot was onboard at 2230hrs, and the subject vessel had sailed off the terminal upon our arrival. Under such a situation, we had no chance to attend onboard for the subject investigation. Afterwards, we then tried to contact all related parties for obtaining more helpful information.

2. Background

The subject vessel loaded a total of 52140.888MT tapioca chips cargo in CHs from ports of Thailand, and all cargo shall be discharged at Dongjiakou port.

Around 1300hrs Apr 18, she made all fast at the terminal of Dongjiakou port for her cargo operation. After the initial draft was completed, the discharging operation commenced at 1720hrs on the same day. The whole discharging operation completed around 1600hrs Apr 26 and she finally sailed off the terminal of Dongjiakou port around 2230hrs Apr 26 after completing her final draft survey.

During her initial & final draft, it was reported that the vessel side had a dispute with the cargo surveyor from SGS and the shore scale figure for the cargo quantity.

3. Initial & Final Draft Survey

The initial draft survey was conducted by the chief mate and the SGS surveyor (alleged on behalf of the cargo receiver) before discharging. After the initial draft survey, it seemed that the chief mate got the cargo quantity was about 100mt more than the B/Ls figure while the SGS surveyor's figure was about 100mt less than the B/Ls figure.

After discharging was completed, the final draft survey was conducted by the chief mate and the SGS surveyor. As per our telecom with them, the SGS surveyor's final draft figure was a total of 503mt cargo (-0.96%) less than the B/L figures.

Due to the big shortage, the owner's P&I club was reported and the owner's P&I surveyor attended onboard on the evening of Apr 26. They invited the SGS surveyor to conduct the final draft survey again but was refused by the SGS surveyor. The owner's P&I surveyor didn't disclose their final draft figure to us, only orally alleged that their calculated figure was as well less than the B/Ls figure but much more than the SGS surveyor's figure.

After the final draft survey, the SGS surveyor did not remain their draft survey report to shipside as the ship side refused to sign due to the big dispute between the SGS surveyor's figure and the shipside. The main difference between the SGS surveyor with the shipside was alleged that the different draft reading and calculated ballast sounding.

Except for the draft figure, we noted that the terminal also calculated the cargo quantity referring to the shore scale figure. As per information available, the shore figure was about 497mt less than the B/Ls figure.

4. Attitude to Cargo Receiver and Vessel Departure

Even if there was a shortage based on the cargo receiver's draft figure and the shore scale figure, the shipside didn't receive any formal claim from the cargo receiver before her departure. Finally, the subject vessel sailed off Dongjiakou port smoothly at 2230hrs Apr 26, 2023.