Ocean container companies continue to make progress in maintaining boxes on ships, as the number of containers lost in the sea in 2024 was 576 units, a slight increase in 221 standard containers lost in 2023, but much less than an average of 10 years than 1,274 lost containers annually.
The World Shipping Council (WSC) said in its annual “missing containers in the sea” that one of the reasons for the rise in 2024 was the ongoing disruption in the Red Sea region, which led to a major shift in global trade routes.
Road change is important because ships avoid geopolitical violence near the Suez Canal, as the ship around the head of good hope increased by 191 % compared to 2023. This has contributed to the concentration of losses, because the southern end of Africa is known for the dangerous marine conditions. Indeed, South Africa Marine Safety Authority says about 200 containers were lost in this region alone.
Joe Karamek, President and CEO of WSC said in a statement.
Despite the increase in this loss of 2024, the industry continued to improve its safety measures and prevent it in the long run, WSC said. This was seen in improving container processing, storage, securing the practices that everyone performs from the trucks and preparing the shipping to the operators of the stations and ocean conveyors.
According to WSC, safety will continue to improve more, as many industry initiatives enter into force. Includes:
- The mandatory reporting of container losses to IMO will begin in 2026, after the adoption of the new SOLAS modifications
- The first -class joint industry project, led by Marin, with the participation of WSC, will present its final report to IMO in September. The project has achieved great developments in improving container safety, identifying the main causes of container losses, and developing tools to help ocean transport companies to prevent accidents, in addition to recommendations for the International Federation of Standardization Executive Services and to ISO for amendments to the standards that will greatly enhance the safety of containers.
- WSC Cargo Safety, which was launched in 2025, introduces the first industry system to check goods for informing of unpopular hazardous goods – the main cause of shipbar fires.
- New regulations on coal shipments will enter into force in 2026.
