Marking of Weight (Packages Transported by Vessels) Convention, 1929 (No. 27) - Russian Federation (Ratification: 1969)

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2025, published 114th ILC session (2026)

Article 1 of the Convention. Legislation. The Committee notes the new legislative texts giving effect to the Convention mentioned in the Government’s report, namely: (i) the Federal Act No. 162-FZ of 29 June 2015 on Standardization in the Russian Federation, amended by the Federal Act No. 523-FZ of 30 December 2020; and (ii) the Order of the Russian Ministry of Labour No. 886n of 11 December 2020 on Approval of Occupational Safety Rules on Maritime Vessels and Inland Waterway Transport Vessels (hereinafter: the Rules). The Committee observes that although the Rules provide for the prohibition of lifting cargo whose weight is unknown (section 198(9)) and include special provisions related to heavy, long or bulky loads – especially for cargo weighing more than 5 tonnes (section 199) –, they do not contain any provision dedicated to the marking of the weight specifically. The Government notes in this respect that according to the State Standard (GOST) No. 14192-96 on the marking of goods, the gross and the net weight have to be marked in kilograms on the cargo package (including for individual cargo items that make up a package); instead of the net weight, the number of articles in pieces may be indicated and, furthermore, the gross and net weight or the number of articles in pieces do not have to be mentioned if they are indicated in the labelling describing the packaged products (section 3, clause 3.5).

The Committee notes that according to the Government, GOST 14192-96 is applied on a voluntary basis, in accordance with section 4(1) of Federal Act No. 162-FZ, and therefore does not constitute a mandatory legal requirement. However, the Committee recalls that Article 1 of the Convention requires the gross weight of any package or object of one thousand kilograms or more gross weight to be plainly and durably marked. It therefore requests the Government to indicate whether any binding provision establishes such an obligation, and to provide a copy of the relevant text. If not, the Committee requests the Government to specify the measures envisaged to ensure that the marking of weight for packages or objects of one thousand kilograms (one metric ton) or more gross weight becomes a mandatory and enforceable requirement under the national legal system.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2013, published 103rd ILC session (2014)

The Committee notes that, according to the Government, the legal instruments giving effect to the Convention, include the Code on Commercial Navigation (Federal Act No. 81-FZ of 30 April 1999) and the State standard (GOST) No. 14192-96 entitled “Marking of packages”. It also notes that, according to the Government, under GOST No. 14192-96, the gross and the net weight have to be marked on the cargo package (article 3 of GOST No. 14192-96); and that it is possible to indicate the number of pieces of a product in lieu of a net weight, and even not to show the gross and net weight or number of pieces of a product, inasmuch as such information appears in the marking of goods packed together (article 1(2) of GOST No. 14192-96). As regards cargo handling of containers, the Government indicates that packages have to be marked by the sender, who has to provide the carrier with the necessary information, also in relation to cargo handling. It further elaborates that safety regulations on seagoing vessels prohibit freight operations and lifting when the weight of cargo is unknown, imposing responsibility on the chief mate for the verification that the weight is in line with the bearing capacity of the vessel. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide any pertinent information in relation to this Convention.