Ocean container carriers continue to make progress in keeping the boxes on the ships, as the number of containers lost at sea in 2024 was 576 units, up slightly from the record-low 221 containers lost in 2023, but well below the 10-year average of 1,274 containers lost annually.
One reason for the rise in 2024 was ongoing disruption in the Red Sea region, which led to a significant shift in global trade routes, the World Shipping Council (WSC) said in its annual “Containers Lost at Sea” report.
The change in routes is significant because as ships avoided geopolitical violence near the Suez Canal, vessel transits around the Cape of Good Hope increased by 191% compared to 2023. That contributed to a concentration of losses, since the southern tip of Africa is well-known for hazardous maritime conditions. In fact, the South African Maritime Safety Authority says around 200 containers were lost in this region alone.
“Despite continued loss-prevention efforts by the industry, the re-routing of transits away from the Red Sea and around the Cape of Good Hope to keep global commerce moving has ocean carriers navigating one of the world’s most challenging routes, as highlighted in this report,” Joe Kramek, president & CEO of the WSC, said in a release.
Despite that rise in losses for 2024, the industry continued to improve its safety and prevention measures over the long term, the WSC said. That was seen in improved container handling, stowage, and securing practices performed by everyone from shippers and freight forwarders to terminal operators and ocean carriers.
According to the WSC, safety will continue to improve even more, as several industry initiatives come into effect. They include:
- Mandatory reporting of container losses to the IMO will begin in 2026, following adoption of new SOLAS amendments
- The Top Tier Joint Industry Project, led by MARIN with WSC participation, will be making its final report to the IMO in September. The project has made major advances in improving container safety, identifying the main reasons for container losses, developing tools to help ocean carriers prevent incidents, as well as recommendations to the IMO for revised regulations and to the ISO for amendments to standards that would significantly enhance container safety.
- The WSC Cargo Safety Program, launching in 2025, introduces the first industry-wide system for cargo screening to flag mis/undeclared dangerous goods – a leading cause of shipboard fires.
- New regulations on charcoal shipments will come into force in 2026.
