The number of shipping containers that fall into the sea from commercial ships fell to a record low in 2023, according to a report from the World Shipping Council.
Just 221 containers were lost in 2023 out of roughly 250 million carried from one port to another. The figure represents a 66 percent drop from 2022, which had set the previous record low at 661 lost boxes.
“The reduction in containers lost at sea in 2023 is a positive development, but it does not diminish the urgency of our work, John Butler, CEO of the World Shipping Council, said in a statement. “Every container lost at sea represents a potential hazard, and our commitment to preventing these incidents must be unwavering,”
The council began collecting data on lost containers in 2008. In the meantime, industry groups have focused on preventing lost containers, which experts attribute in many cases to parametric rolling. The condition can develop quickly in following seas and cause containers to topple. Efforts to combat lost containers have focused on training crews to recognize conditions that are ripe for parametric rolling and to take action to mitigate its effects.