More than 10% of cargo transport units inspected by government authorities in 2025 had safety deficiencies, according to the World Shipping Council, with problems ranging from incorrect documentation to improper packing.
Authorities in seven countries inspected 93,079 cargo transport units last year and found deficiencies in 9,645 of them, a rate of 10.36%, WSC reported. That’s down from 11.39% in 2024 but still well above the 6.54% recorded in 2019. Since 2021, the rate has topped 10% in three of five years. Deficiencies such as poor packing, inadequate securing, and incorrect marking can contribute to damaged cargo, containers lost overboard, and fires at sea.
“Finding deficiencies in more than one in ten inspected units is far too high,” said WSC President and CEO Joe Kramek, calling correct declaration, packing, securing, and marking fundamental safety obligations. Misdeclared cargo, including chemicals and lithium-ion batteries, remains a major cause of shipboard incidents, and WSC has cited Allianz Commercial data showing a container ship fire somewhere in the world roughly every 17 days.
Only seven of the International Maritime Organization’s more than 170 member states reported results: Chile, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden, and the United States. WSC cautioned that the figure reflects deficiencies among inspected units, not a failure rate for all containers. To catch problems earlier, WSC’s Cargo Safety Program uses a National Cargo Bureau screening system that scans bookings for risk indicators. It has flagged shipments such as cargo declared as “hand tools” that turned out to contain lithium-ion battery-powered equipment.
IAM Member Impact: Household shipments often include items with lithium-ion batteries, such as e-bikes, power tools, and laptops, so members may want to review how they identify and declare these items. Members should also attend the Lithium Battery session at the upcoming IAM Annual Meeting and get ahead of any regulatory change.
Source: gCaptain