Dodgy boxes on the rise, survey finds

A REPORT published by the World Shipping Council has found more than one in ten cargo transport units inspected during 2025 had safety deficiencies.

Government authorities in seven countries reported 93,079 unit inspections last year and identified deficiencies in 9,645, a rate of 10.36%. Problems included incorrect documentation, marking and labelling, improper packing and inadequate cargo securing, all of which can increase the risk of cargo damage, container losses and ship fires.

“Finding deficiencies in more than one in ten inspected units is far too high,” Joe Kramek, president and CEO of the WSC, said.

“Correct declaration, packing, securing and marking are fundamental safety obligations. When these requirements are not met, people’s lives are put at risk.”

The report consolidates information submitted to the International Maritime Organization by Chile, Finland, Germany, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, Sweden and the United States.

WSC took on the consolidation and publication of the results after the IMO discontinued its annual consolidated report in 2024, keeping this important safety information accessible to governments and industry.

Also concerning is that only seven of the IMO’s more than 170 Member States reported container inspection results for 2025, leaving significant gaps in the global safety picture, WSC says.

“States have a responsibility to enforce cargo safety rules, including through effective inspections,” Mr Kramek said.

“The fact that only seven Member States reported results is concerning. More governments need to report their inspections so that risks can be consistently identified and action taken.”

The gaps in compliance and enforcement reinforce the importance of the WSC Cargo Safety Program, which uses shared screening technology, common inspection standards and operational feedback to help identify misdeclared and undeclared dangerous goods before they are loaded aboard ships, the Council says.

Read the full report here.

Reported deficiency rates