576 containers were lost at sea in 2024, an increase from 221 containers lost in 2023, but remains below the 10-year average of 1,274 containers lost annually, according to figures revealed by the World Shipping Council (WSC) Container Lost at Sea 2025 report.
It also indicated that 200 containers were lost around the region of the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, which makes interesting news for the U-Freight Group with our strong presence in the various trades, which have seen seen ongoing disruption in the Red Sea region lead to significant shifts in global trade routes.
The figures underscore continued industry progress on safety and prevention, said the report.
The report added that the Cape of Good Hope is well-known for hazardous maritime conditions, which contributed to a concentration of losses.
“The South African Maritime Safety Authority says around 200 containers were lost in this region alone. Despite these challenges, the proportion of containers lost relative to those transported remains exceptionally low – just 0.0002 per cent of the 250 million containers transported globally in 2024.”
Joe Kramek, president and CEO of the World Shipping Council, said that this year’s report confirms that the vast majority of containers are transported safely across the oceans.
Malcolm Hartwell, Norton Rose Fulbright director and master mariner, said that the loss of 576 containers is a tiny percentage of the 250 million containers transported annually by sea.
“Compulsory reporting of container losses is not yet in effect, so the numbers may be higher than reported. The losses, even if reduced over the last few years, are an ongoing concern to the shipping lines, WSC and regulators,” said Mr Hartwell.
“While most containers sink or are washed ashore quite soon after falling into the sea, they do remain a navigational hazard to yachts and smaller ships and can pose a significant threat to the environment depending on their contents,” he said.
For more information about our ocean freight forwarding and logistics services, please visit the relevant pages of this website, or contact your local office, which can be seen here: https://ufreight.com/locations
