Delegation from the Container Terminal in Rio Grande visited furniture companies in Bento to learn about their process of stowing cargo The physical inspection of containers by the IRS officers in the port of Rio Grande causes a problem with multiple consequences for the local furniture industry. Because it is sensitive retail cargo, shipments of furniture that fall into the so called Red Channel often suffer damages due to the handling process which, in turn, result in extra costs regarding technical assistance and goods exchanges in addition to wearing out the image of the manufacturer. In general, loads are chosen randomly, but a problem that had already been solved years ago has happened again, increasing the inspection of furniture batches: the difference between the weight described on the invoice and the weight registered at customs. When the difference exceeds the tolerance of 5%, the storage team working at the Container Terminal in Rio Grande (Tecon) is required to inform the IRS and, consequently, the load is checked. “It may be necessary to update the tables used to calculate the weight of the product or packaging,” says the person in charge of special loads at Tecon, John Manczak. To minimize the problem, a delegation led by the representative of Tecon in the Serra Gaúcha terminal visited companies in Bento Gonçalves last Thursday, March 19, following the process of stowing containers for export and cabotage (transport along the Brazilian coast). This action is organized by the Logistic Committee of Sindmóveis and has the support of Movergs. Throughout the day, a warehousing supervisor, a business analyst and two cargo checkers followed the packing line and the loading of containers at Politorno and Bertolini. In 2011, 65 out of 3,064 containers of furniture exported via Tecon were audited. Although there are no rules determining to return the cargo in the container as originally stored, the agreement between Sindmóveis and Tecon should improve the inspection process, avoiding the loss of markets by the furniture industry due to damages caused during the shipment. “We have numerous challenges in the foreign market. The loss of export products cannot be another one,” says the president of Sindmóveis, Cátia Scarton.
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