“We welcome the IMO Council’s call for an immediate halt to attacks on ships affecting innocent civilians. We also strongly support the call for members states to put in place measures to support seafarers trapped in the Gulf, including access to food and essential supplies, as well as the need to establish a safe maritime corridor so that ships can leave the region. These priorities reflect concerns raised by the World Shipping Council and across the shipping industry. The industry is ready and eager to collaborate with member states to support seafarers and the establishment of safe passage.”

“Around 20,000 seafarers on vessels operating in the Middle East are facing a dangerous and highly uncertain security situation as the conflict in the region continues,” said World Shipping Council President & CEO Joe Kramek.

The World Shipping Council today welcomed the European Commission’s focus on strengthening port security and advancing maritime decarbonisation in its EU Ports Strategy and Maritime Industrial Strategy. 

The World Shipping Council (WSC) has just published its latest update to the WSC Dual-Fuel Fleet Dashboard, tracking the global liner shipping industry’s investment in new ships capable of running on renewable and lower-emission fuels, and showing how the fleet is preparing for the energy transition. 

January 21, 2026 – The World Shipping Council (WSC) has appointed Simon Bergulf as its next Vice-President, Environment and Climate, succeeding Bryan Wood-Thomas, who will retire in 2026 after leading WSC’s environment and climate work since 2008. Simon will join WSC in March 2026 and begin his new role as Vice President at the beginning of April. Mr. Bergulf will also lead and manage WSC’s Brussels Office.

Washington/Oslo, January 14, 2026 – The World Shipping Council (WSC) today announced that Höegh Autoliners has joined as a member, further strengthening the Council’s representation of the global liner shipping industry, including the vehicle carrier sector.

The World Shipping Council (WSC) today joined political leaders and transport industry representatives at the United Nations launch of the Decade of Sustainable Transport, highlighting the essential role of ocean shipping in cutting emissions across global supply chains.

The World Shipping Council (WSC) has joined a broad coalition of 90 industry partners calling for quick passage of the bipartisan Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025. 

Dear Majority Leader Thune, Leader Schumer, Speaker Johnson, and Leader Jeffries:

On behalf of the undersigned companies and trade associations representing a broad spectrum of the American economy, we write to express our strong support for the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 (CORCA) S.1404/H.R. 2853 and urge its swift passage.

The World Shipping Council (WSC) has released the third edition of the WSC Whale Chart, a global voyage planning aid that maps where slower ship speeds and route changes can help protect whales from ship strikes and reduce underwater noise.

“The European Commission’s publication today of the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) is a promising first step toward accelerating the energy transition in Europe for shipping,” says Jim Corbett, WSC’s Environmental Director, Europe.

London, 17 October 2025 — Recognising the challenging and complex negotiations at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) this week, the World Shipping Council (WSC) has underlined the importance of using the year ahead to clarify and develop the IMO Net-Zero Framework.

Leading international maritime associations and organisations reiterate our strong support for adoption by the world’s governments at the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) of the “Net-Zero Framework” at the critical Extraordinary Session of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee next week (14-17 October).

Around two-thirds of 2,600 drug seizures in maritime shipping containers across 2023 and 2024 were found to have some level of internal conspirator support somewhere in the supply chain. That is the standout fact from WCO’s Report on infiltration of maritime cargo supply chains that set the stage for the Global Conference on ‘a collective response to safeguarding maritime supply chains from criminal threats’, held at the WCO in Brussels.

The World Shipping Council (WSC) today announced the launch of its Cargo Safety Program, an industry-led initiative to detect misdeclared and undeclared dangerous goods in order to prevent ship fires, protect crews, vessels, customers’ cargo, and the marine environment.

The World Shipping Council (WSC) released a new report summarising deficiencies found in government cargo inspection programmes, reviving a vital data series that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) discontinued last year. 

“What we’re seeing unfold in the Red Sea is shocking and unacceptable. Seafarers are being killed while simply doing their jobs," WSC President & CEO Joe Kramek said today in response to attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea over the past few days.

"The World Shipping Council extends its deepest condolences to the families of those who have been lost, and our thoughts are with all those affected. These are devastating, deeply felt losses for the global shipping community."

The World Shipping Council (WSC) has released its annual Containers Lost at Sea report, showing that 576 containers were lost at sea in 2024. While this represents an increase from the record-low 221 containers lost in 2023, it remains well below the 10-year average of 1,274 containers lost annually, underscoring continued industry progress on safety and prevention.

The industry bodies of the Cargo Integrity Group expand on their concerns relating to cargoes that can catch fire and cause significant damage and casualties under certain conditions. Circumstances created by an alignment of mistakes, oversights, or failed controls can turn a minor incident into a major event.