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One casualty and a few incidents pushed the number of containers lost at sea up for the second year in a row, reaching possibly the fourth-highest level in the 18 years that the World Shipping Council has been tracking losses. The level of losses, however, appears in line with the long-term average, with the industry trade group further highlighting that it is an infinitesimal portion of the number of containers transported each year.
In its annual Containers Lost at Sea Report, WSC calculates that a total of 1,478 containers were reported lost overboard in 2025 out of a total of approximately 280 million transported globally. It notes that one casualty, the loss of the MSC Elsa 3 off India in May 2025, accounted for 640 containers within the total. That represented 43 percent of the boxes reported lost overboard during the year.
The number, however, is above the three-year average for the industry and is nearly triple that of 2024, when 576 containers were reported lost overboard. The prior year, 2023, had seen the industry's lowest ever recorded level at just 221 containers reported lost at sea.
The peak years generally consist of one or two major casualties as well as various smaller incidents. The highest recorded losses were in 2013, with 5,578 containers lost, primarily driven by the MOL Comfort, which broke in two in the Indian Ocean. The next highest peaks came in 2020 with a series of casualties, including the ONE Apus, which lost 1,816 boxes in the North Pacific, and in 2021, when several ships were caught in heavy seas, and the X-Press Pearl burnt and sank off Sri Lanka.
WSC highlights that the key challenges remain weather and ocean conditions, although the industry has made significant strides in managing the phenomenon known as "parametric rolling." It also points to fire-related losses.
As an industry, they continue to work on improving safety factors, with work focusing on the misdeclaration of dangerous goods. It highlights the 2026 introduction of new reporting requirements adopted by the International Maritime Organization and safety rules for the transport of charcoal.
The report also shows that for the first time, 128 containers were recovered in 2025. The WSC says that it is the highest recovery figure since it began gathering data in 2023 on boxes recovered.
It is also continuing its education efforts for the industry on issues such as stowage and lashing plans and the safe execution of voyages. Another focus is on the Code of Practice for Packing Cargo Transport Units. A draft code has been developed and submitted to the IMO for consideration.
The World Shipping Council concludes by saying the long-term trend continues to show that container losses remain a very small fraction of the total global movements of boxes. It says year-to-year figures fluctuate, often driven by extreme weather and isolated events, while the overall trajectory remains stable and significantly below earlier peak years.
Fuente: Maritime Executive
