The World Shipping Council (WSC), the international association representing the world's leading shipowners in the containers, urged the member states of the International Maritime Organization to increase controls on the content of the containers, as the number of those with shortages is far too high, and to increase transparency compared to these activities. The exhortation comes as a result of the Today's publication of the WSC report on the inspections of containers carried out in 2025 in Chile, South Korea, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States, which shows that out of 93,079 9,645 containers inspected, equal to 10.36% of the total, had deficiencies and were not up to standard. Among the most incorrect documentation, marking and Incorrect labelling, inadequate packaging and stowage insufficient load, all factors that - underlines the document - increase the risk of damage to the goods, loss of containers at sea and fires on board ships.

The data show a considerable inhomogeneity between the various countries, both in the number of inspections carried out and in the rate of non- compliance. In the USA, the country with the largest number of checks overall, 55,857 were inspected containers and 4,706 deficiencies were found (8.43%). In Germany, 23,848 units inspected and 3,560 shortages ascertained (14.93%). Korea follows with 6,817 units inspected and 375 deficiencies (5.50%), Chile with 4,309 units inspected and 83 deficiencies (1.93%, the rate of non-compliance Sweden with 763 units inspected and 341 shortages (44.69%), the Netherlands with 1,085 units inspected and 543 shortages (50.05%) and Finland with 400 units inspected and 37 deficiencies (9.25%). The report specifies that the large gap between countries such as Chile (1.93%) and the Netherlands or Sweden (50.05% and 44.69%) probably reflects criteria for selecting containers from inspect very different from each other, implemented for example with inspections targeted on shipments already reported as at rather high risk than random controls, rather than an actual difference in compliance levels of the cargo handled in the respective countries.

Of the total deficiencies detected, the most recurrent item concerns by far the marking and signalling of the units which alone accounts for 46.72% of cases, followed by from stowage and securing cargo inside containers and of vehicles (26.57%). The picture is completed by the marking and incorrect labelling of individual packages (10.67%), incorrect or missing documentation (6.75%), inadequate packaging or damaged (4.19%), serious structural deficiencies of the units (2.48%) and load segregation issues, i.e. failure to compliance with safety distances between goods that are incompatible with each other (2.21%).

The report also expresses concern about the fact that whereas only seven of the more than 170 IMO Member States have effectively transmitted the results of its inspections on the containers, leaving important gaps in the framework global security of the industry.

"Find deficiencies in more than one in ten units - commented the Chairman and CEO of the World Shipping Council, Joe Kramek - is a fact far too high. The correct declaration, the packaging, stowage and marking are obligations of essential security. When these requirements are not respected, people's lives are put at risk." He then referred to the small number of nations that have spread the data on inspections, Kramek noted that "the fact that only seven Member States reported their results and worrying. We need more governments to report their so that risks can be identified in a and the necessary countermeasures can be taken".