Reducing the number of containers lost at sea

In 2025, approximately 1,478 containers were lost at sea, out of the over 280 million containers transported. The liner industry is taking proactive measures to prevent incidents and enhance cargo safety. Every container overboard is one too many.

Containers Lost at Sea Report 2026

In 2025, an estimated 1,478 containers were lost at sea out of approximately 280 million transported, equivalent to around 0.0005 percent of global container movements. While this represents an increase from 576 containers lost in 2024 and is above the recent three-year average, it remains within the range of historical variation and continues to reflect a very small proportion of overall containerised trade.

Key findings from the 2026 report:

  • 1,478 containers lost at sea in 2025, out of over 280 million transported (0.0005%)

  • 128 containers recovered, the highest recovery figure recorded to date

  • Losses driven by one major incident (640 containers)

  • Extreme weather events and fire remain the leading causes of container loss

A notable feature of 2025 was the concentration of losses in a small number of incidents. One major incident alone accounted for 640 containers lost, or approximately 43 percent of the annual total. This underscores the continued influence of isolated, large-scale events in shaping yearly outcomes.

Encouragingly, 128 containers were reported as recovered, reflecting improved response coordination and collaboration following incidents.

The long-term trend continues to show that container losses remain a very small fraction of total global container movements. While year-to-year figures fluctuate, often driven by extreme weather and isolated events, the overall trajectory remains stable and significantly below earlier peak years.
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Improving Container Safety

The World Shipping Council is leading and supporting key efforts to enhance container safety and reduce losses at sea:

  • Mandatory Loss Reporting: WSC advocated for new IMO regulations requiring all container losses to be reported starting January 1, 2026. WSC will continue reporting on behalf of its members to ensure consistency and transparency.

  • TopTier Industry Project: As a key partner in the MARIN-led Joint Industry Project, WSC helped identify root causes of container losses and develop practical safety tools and regulatory recommendations. The final report was submitted to the IMO in September 2025.

  • Cargo Safety Program: the World Shipping Council launched the Cargo Safety Program in 2025, an industry-led initiative designed to improve the detection of high-risk shipments before they are loaded aboard ship. The programme strengthens prevention efforts with a clear focus on protecting crews, vessels, cargo and the marine environment. The aim is to reduce incidents, which have also caused container loss.

  • Charcoal Safety Regulations: WSC advocated for new IMO rules classifying charcoal as dangerous goods. These regulations are now mandatory as of 1 January 2026, with many carriers already having implemented them in 2025 voluntarily.

  • Advancing the CTU Code to Strengthen Cargo Safety: A revised draft of the Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units (CTU Code) has now been developed and submitted to the three sponsoring organizations – the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) -  for approval. WSC has actively contributed to this work, supporting the finalisation of key modifications and the restructuring of the Code to reflect evolving operational experience, new technologies and innovations, and emerging risks across the global supply chain.