These kind of goods are usually packed or contained (linked one to each other, arranged in a certain order); examples of general cargos are : packages, pallets, cartons, rolls, logs, etc.. Their handling cannot usually be done with pumps or fully automated systems, but with cranes operated by the staff of the hold and the quay.
From this it follows that the Project Cargo has different transport requirement, with voluminous and heavy materials, including components of industrial equipment that cannot be shipped as a single unit load. In addition to the type of goods there is also a more complete organizational component (expediting, pre-shipping, forwarding, material management) and a compliance with more rigid quality standards.
This system is managed by the World Organization WCO (World Customs Organization). This numbering system is used in trade between the nations, both in exports and in imports, in order to allow a clear and rapid identification of the handled goods and is currently being used by more than 200 countries around the world and covers more than 98% of goods that are traded internationally.
The entire classification is composed of 21 sections and 99 chapters. The Combined Nomenclature includes thousands of items; there is a numeric code of eight digits that correspond to each product. The first six indicate the nomenclature items and sub-items of the Harmonized System of Classification of the goods, while the seventh and eighth digits identify the combined nomenclature sub-items (NC); to these last ones are added two additional digits that indicate the sub-items of the Customs Tariff (TARIC) that determine the rates of customs duties for the goods in import, according to the origin of goods and various measures of trade policy.
Example of TARIC code:
The entire classification is available on the website: www.adm.gov.it. which also contains the explanatory notes, information concerning prohibitions, licenses, indications of the required certification for the application of preferential rates, the reference to EU laws and many other information related to the export and import of goods.
The transport of dangerous goods by road, rail, sea, air is subject to specific international regulations that impose special operational requirements:
These regulations require that all the operators involved in a shipment of dangerous goods must meet the mandatory requirements for the proper management of the choice of the appropriate packaging, labeling, issuing of shipping documents (DDT, Multimodal Dangerous Goods Form, Shipper’s Declaration) and control of the means of transport.
Each person involved in the transfer of dangerous goods (sender, shipper, carrier, consignee) has its own specific duties. For example, the sender must deal with the classification of goods, the choice of appropriate packaging (containers or tanks) based on the hazardous characteristics of the goods and provide the carrier with the necessary documents in order to arrange the transport in the best possible way and security.
The codes of dangerous goods consist of 1 to 3 digits, which indicate respectively the main (1), the secondary (2) and the tertiary (3) type of hazard according to the type of material. The code is supplemented by other four digits which indicate the specific code of the material, defined as number UN, to which corresponds the transported goods uniquely around the world.
Below is the table of the primary dangers:
The labels are the graphic representation of the dangerousness of the material, the more easily identifiable than a series of numbers. To a certain type of goods may be associated with different hazard labels.