The World Shipping Council has released its annual Containers Lost at Sea Report, showing that an estimated 1,478 containers were lost at sea in 2025 out of approximately 280 million transported globally.

World Shipping Council welcomes the critically important IMO and Strait of Hormuz Coastal Sate vessel evacuation plan, announced this week, for ships that remain trapped in the Persian Gulf. 

New statistics released today by Allianz show a container ship fire occurs every 17 days, underscoring the persistent risk misdeclared and undeclared dangerous goods pose to seafarers, shipping and global supply chains.

World Shipping Council President & CEO Joe Kramek said the agreement affecting the Strait of Hormuz is a positive development and an encouraging step toward restoring safety in this vital maritime corridor.

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

The World Shipping Council says that constructive engagement on a global emissions reduction measure at this week’s International Maritime Organization Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 84) meeting is encouraging and necessary to deliver on the IMO’s 2023 GHG Strategy.

In advance of a critical meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 84) this statement is made jointly on behalf of BIMCO, CLIA, ICS, INTERCARGO, INTERFERRY, INTERTANKO and WSC, representing the global commercial shipping fleet.

The World Shipping Council (WSC) welcomes the launch of the Singapore‑specific Red Flag Indicators for Wildlife Trafficking in Containerised Sea Cargo, a practical new tool to strengthen vigilance and cooperation across the maritime supply chain.

“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 recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East is causing disruption to global liner shipping, with many ocean carriers pausing or rerouting services as they assess the evolving security situation,” World Shipping Council President & CEO Joe Kramek said.

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.