The World Shipping Council (WSC) has released a new report showing that 11.39% of inspected cargo shipments contained deficiencies in 2024, up slightly from the IMO’s final reported figure of 11% in 2023. Issues included undeclared or mis-declared dangerous goods, incorrect paperwork, and unsafe packing, all of which pose risks of shipboard fires and environmental harm. Only seven port States currently share inspection data for the series, which the IMO stopped publishing in 2024. WSC says it will continue reporting to track trends and is developing a new industry-wide Cargo Safety Program to strengthen standards, inspections, and risk prevention across global shipping.
