The World Shipping Council (WSC) has raised serious concerns about container safety, reporting that 11.39% of inspected containers were flagged for issues—up from 11% in 2023 and significantly higher than the sub-9% rates seen between 2017 and 2022, including a low of 6.5% in 2019.

These deficiencies—mis-declared or undeclared dangerous goods, incorrect documentation, and improper packing—pose considerable risk to crews, ships, cargo, and the environment.

Notable recent incidents linked to such packaging failures include container fires aboard the Wan Hai 503 and Marie Maersk, underscoring the gravity of the problem.

Although advancements like new charcoal shipment rules have slightly improved safety, the WSC emphasizes that more port-state inspection data—currently limited to seven countries—is urgently needed to better address this widespread threat