Manila, July 9 - Del Monte Philippines, Inc. (DMPI) would like to set the facts straight in view of Sulpicio's statements in the media that DMPI had misdeclared the endosulfan shipment.
Sulpicio claims that DMPI did not disclose the nature of the cargo
The endosulfan cargo arrived in Manila from Israel for transshipment to Cagayan de Oro. DMPI, through its broker, had presented all relevant documents to Sulpicio showing the name and nature of the endosulfan cargo. These include:
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The Bill of Lading (BOL) of Yang Ming Marine Transport covering the endosulfan shipment from Israel to Manila that specifically indicates endosulfan to be toxic and a marine pollutant.
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Commercial invoice number 29166 dated May 15, 2008 issued by Makhteshim Chemical Works, Ltd., the endosulfan manufacturer and supplier in Israel.
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Packing/weight List dated May 15, 2008 issued by Makhteshim
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Certificate of Insurance dated May 11, 2008 issued by CLAL Insurance Company, Ltd.
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Certificate of Analysis printed on May 26, 2008 and issued by Makhteshim
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The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) that sets forth details on the endosulfan including composition, ingredients, physical and chemical properties, toxicological information and hazards.
Importantly, DMPI has been importing endosulfan for decades. As a matter of standard practice, we have always provided these required documents to our local carriers.
Sulpicio claims that the shipment lacked the necessary markings and labels
In compliance with international shipping standards, the container van used to load the endosulfan cargo prominently displayed on four (4) sides the standard markings and codes that show the toxic nature of the cargo and the fact that it is a potential marine pollutant. The container markings are as follows:
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a picture of a skull-and-crossed-bones, with the number 6, all indicating the toxic nature of the cargo, as per International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code
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a picture of a fish with an X superimposed, with the words "Marine Pollutant" below it, indicating its nature as a marine pollutant, as per IMDG Code
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The numbers "2761", which is the number assigned to a substance, material or article by the United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods. Under IMDG, "2761" refers to materials that are "organochlorine pesticide, solid and toxic".
As a shipping line, Sulpicio cannot claim to have missed, much less claim ignorance of, these international standard markings and codes.
Sulpicio claims that DMPI misdeclared the endosulfan cargo to save on shipping costs
The cargo rates submitted to us by Sulpicio show that the fees are uniform across all types of raw material cargo. Therefore, there were no savings to be realized by misdeclaring the cargo.
Finally, DMPI questions why Sulpicio accepted the cargo if the documentation was as faulty as they allege. DMPI has been a responsible corporate citizen for the past 80 years and has always complied with all applicable laws, regulations and practices with respect to the importation of its materials and supplies. This is the first time a carrier has questioned the adequacy of our documentation in importing an item which we have been importing for decades