Tripartite IBC Code
Hazardous substances in liquid form may only be transported by seagoing vessel if they are listed in the IBC Code, in the annually published MEPC.2-Circulars or in the tripartite agreement overview. If not, the shipper (cargo owner) of the substance must enter into a temporary agreement. This is a tripartite agreement. In the Netherlands, you apply for this at the Inspectorate for the Environment and Transport (the ILT).
Parties involved
A tripartite agreement is concluded between 3 parties:
- shipping country (shipper or cargo owner)
- carrier's country (ship's flag state)
- receiving country or countries
Because there are at least 3 parties, this agreement is called a tripartite agreement (TPA). The shipper applies for the tripartite agreement to the maritime authority of the country where loading takes place. In the Netherlands, this is the ILT.
Requesting a tripartite agreement
The manufacturer or carrier of the substance requests a tripartite agreement from the ILT by email. The email address is nsi-tez-kv@ilent.nl.
Please send the following information:
- name and address of the company and contact person
- contact details of the company and contact person
- name of the manufacturer
- name of the substance or product (transport name, chemical name, synonyms, if any)
- pollution category
- the MEPC.2/Circular list number for which this application is intended
- ship type for transportation
Please send the following completed forms and documents with your application:
- Summary of Health and Environmental Data (such as the Material Safety Data Sheet)
- PPR Product Data Reporting Form
- GESAMP/EHS Product Data Reporting Form
- Mixture Calculation Tool (only in Dutch)
- A list of countries involved in transportation
The ILT will contact you after receiving your email.
Shipping from another country
If you are shipping the product from a country other than the Netherlands, you must submit your application for a tripartite agreement to the maritime authority of that country. You can find contact information for each country on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) website.
Publication of concluded tripartite agreements
Completed tripartite agreements are included in IMO's MEPC.2/Circ.28 publication. This is published every year in December. The tripartite agreements take effect on 1 January of the following year. Tripartite agreements concluded in the current year are published in a list on the IMO website.