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Container Ships May Bring US Into TIR
Page 62
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FROM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT THE probability of US ratification of the TIR
Convention within the next three months is one of the points emerging from ECE discussions in Geneva. This has come about because of the development of container traffic between America and Europe.
The US delegate also indicated the likelihood of his country ratifying the 1956 Customs Convention on Containers. In view of the considerable development to be expected in container traffic between Europe and North America, the meeting considered it advisable, to study the possibility of introducing some form of customs procedure which would simplify and standardize documentation and procedure for containers, and cut out intermediate inspection by customs.
Models for such a system would be TIR and TIE; some delegates felt that these two existing Conventions for road and rail should be modified to embrace all forms of container transport.
The US delegate suggested that from the viewpoint of Customs security it would be necessary to keep in each country a central register (perhaps on the lines of Lloyd's of London) giving details of all containers used in transatlantic traffic.
A number of problems were noted including the method of treating the type or containers incorporating bogies which, when mounted, converted the container into a road vehicle. The difficulty here, it was said, was whether this class properly fell within the scope of T1R. On the question of standard dimensions, the bulk of the delegates were of the view that only containers satisfying the dimensions laid down by the ISO should be utilized in the US-European traffic.
Both the IRU and ITIC are watching developments very cidsely; the former body is currently seeking detailed views of national associations on the various problems raised during discussions.
The UIC is approaching American railways to discuss the rates applicable to this class of traffic and the 11W is making a similar contact with the American Trucking Association.
Possibilities of this traffic cannot be denied and it is generally accepted that by the middle of this year over 1E3,000 containers will be geared to the USA-Europe traffic which will be transported in specially constructed container ships.