The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency has published formal guidance listing the organisations it has approved to carry out container weighing under SOLAS Method 2. The document, published on 10 September 2026, provides a consolidated reference to the MCA-approved weighing organisations for the container weight requirements.

The guidance is titled "Guidance: SOLAS container weight MCA approved weighing organisations" and is authored by the MCA. It identifies those bodies that the agency recognises as meeting its criteria for providing verified container weights under the relevant SOLAS provisions.

The publication presents the approved organisations as a single point of reference. The MCA describes the item as guidance for container weight requirements and the organisations it has approved to perform weighing in accordance with Method 2.

Key facts

  • Title: Guidance: SOLAS container weight MCA approved weighing organisations.
  • Publisher: UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
  • Publication date: 10 September 2026.
  • Purpose summary: MCA approved organisations for container weight requirements.

What the guidance sets out

The guidance lists organisations the MCA has approved to undertake Method 2 weighing for containers, and it defines that listing as the agency's formal record of approved service providers. The document is presented as authoritative in identifying those organisations that have been assessed and approved by the MCA for this specific role.

The MCA’s list functions as a practical reference for parties who need to confirm whether a given weighing organisation is approved by the regulator. The guidance therefore centralises information that the agency considers relevant to compliance with the container weight requirements under the SOLAS framework.

Scope and immediate effect

The publication date of 10 September 2026 establishes the guidance as the MCA’s current statement on approved weighing organisations from that day. The agency frames the guidance as addressing the particular mechanism known as Method 2 for obtaining verified container weights and the organisations approved to carry out that mechanism.

The document does not, in this summary, enumerate the individual organisations or supply technical detail beyond the fact of approval; it serves primarily as the MCA’s formal listing and a point of verification for the regulated community.

The MCA’s action brings together approval information into a single, named guidance item. For stakeholders seeking confirmation of approval status, the guidance provides a named, dated reference issued by the UK regulator.

The publication underlines the MCA’s role in maintaining and publishing records of organisations it has approved in relation to container weight requirements. The guidance is presented by the agency as the official listing of approved weighing organisations in respect of SOLAS Method 2.

As a dated guidance item, it offers clarity about which organisations the MCA recognises at the time of publication. Those requiring confirmation of approval may rely on the MCA’s published list as the regulator’s stated position on approved Method 2 weighing organisations as of 10 September 2026.