17 July 2023 – The international supply chain is probably one of the most complex networks man has created, carrying 250 million containers every year. Its safe and smooth functioning relies on everyone in the chain taking responsibility for the integrity and cleanliness of the container when in their care. To help address this, the revised Unified Container Inspection & Repair Criteria (UCIRC) published by BIC, ICS and WSC now includes inspection criteria for container depots and other container handover facilities to address pest contamination on and in containers.

Every year, 241 million containers are transported across the seas with over 7 trillion dollars’ worth of food, clothes, electronics and other goods we all need. While crucial for the smooth functioning of the global supply chain, containers and their cargoes can also harbour and transfer contaminating pests. All parties in the supply chain have a shared responsibility for stopping the spread of pests by keeping cargo and containers clean when in their custody. The updated Prevention of Pest Contamination of Containers: Joint Industry Guidelines for the Cleaning of Containers published by BIC, COA, IICL and WSC provide easy-to-use best practices to help everyone carry out their responsibilities.

In 2021, international liner carriers’ onshore staff and crews managed 6300 ships, successfully delivering vital supplies worth $7 trillion to the people of the world, in approximately 241 million containers. The World Shipping Council (WSC) Containers Lost at Sea Report covering 2020-2021 shows that containers lost overboard represent less than one thousandth of 1% (0.001%). However, the past two years have seen a worrying break in the downward trend for losses, with the average number of containers lost at sea per year since the start of the survey increasing by 18% to 1,629.

The tragic incidents in Tianjin and Beirut have marked a decade of increased concern over the safety of dangerous goods stored in ports, terminals and other warehousing facilities. Four industry groups have collaborated to address the issue and produce best practice guidelines in the form of a White Paper and Warehouse Checklist.

In striving for greater awareness and usage of the CTU Code in order to improve safety in the intermodal supply chain, the Cargo Integrity Group (CIG) has published its Quick Guide to the Code, and its accompanying Container Packing Checklist, in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.