According to the World Shipping Council (WSC), safety deficiencies were identified in 9,645 of the 93,079 cargo transport units inspected in 2025 across seven countries.
The figures, published by the WSC on Monday, September 14, produced a deficiency rate of 10.36 per cent. Problems included incorrect or incomplete documentation, marking and labelling faults, unsuitable packing and insufficiently secured cargo.
Mis-declared or undeclared dangerous goods were also identified as a concern. The WSC said cargo deficiencies can contribute to damaged goods, containers being lost at sea and fires aboard ships.
“Finding deficiencies in more than one in ten inspected units is far too high,” WSC President and CEO Joe Kramek 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 2025 deficiency rate was below the 11.39 per cent recorded in 2024 and 11.00 per cent in 2023, but remained above 10 per cent. The lowest rate in the WSC’s published 2017–2025 series was 6.54 per cent in 2019.
The 2025 data was submitted to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) by Chile, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, Sweden and the United States.
Seven of the IMO’s more than 170 member states submitted data. The WSC said the limited participation left gaps in the global safety picture and made it harder to identify risks consistently.
“The fact that only seven Member States reported results is concerning,” Kramek said. “More governments need to report their inspections so that risks can be consistently identified and action taken.”
The figures represent a consolidation of government inspection data rather than a worldwide survey of cargo transport units. Port states may inspect containers for compliance with international requirements governing dangerous goods declarations, packing, labelling and cargo securing.
After the IMO ended its annual consolidated report in 2024, the WSC assumed responsibility for consolidating and publishing the inspection results.
Its Cargo Safety Program combines screening technology shared across operations, standardised inspection criteria and feedback from operations to detect dangerous goods that were misdeclared or left undeclared before loading. The council has also supported a quick guide and checklist for the IMO/ILO/UNECE Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units.
The wider regulatory framework includes the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code and the 1972 Convention for Safe Containers. The convention sets uniform safety requirements for most freight containers used in international transport and makes owners responsible for maintenance and periodic examination.
