Introduction to the number of lost shipping containers in the sea
When it comes to ocean freight, how many shipping containers are lost at sea?
There are a number of factors that can make this a tricky question to answer.
In January 2021 alone, the Maersk Essen and ONE Apus lost a combined 1,382 boxes.
In February, Eindhoven and ONE Apus lost a combined 1,816 boxes.
In December, the MSC Aries sank, causing the loss of an additional 1,800 containers.
1,382
The World Shipping Council estimates that at least 1,382 shipping containers are lost at sea every year. They also note that there are no mandatory reporting requirements, so the figures are a conservative estimate. Many people in Hawaii, Texas, and Florida have experienced container losses.
The most frequent area for container losses is the Pacific Ocean, which carries the busiest marine traffic and also has some of the most extreme weather conditions.
Climate change also plays a role, as the recent increase in China-U.S. container traffic was coinciding with some of the strongest winds in the Northern Pacific since 1948.
This combined with rougher seas and larger waves can cause containers to become lost at sea.
The largest container ship in the world, the MSC Zoe, lost a total of 345 of its standard containers early this year in the North Sea. These containers included television sets, dolls, and sandals, among others.
The loss of these containers has resulted in many lost-at-sea cases. In some cases, human error is responsible for the container’s loss.
Incorrect declaration of the container’s weight or short-cuts for cost savings is other causes. Improper packing and stowage planning are also factors in container loss.
According to the World Shipping Council, more than 1,382 shipping containers are lost at sea every year. This means higher costs for shipping companies, poor working conditions for ship crews, and environmental concerns.
The latest fiasco involving a 364-meter ship is a prime example of why container losses are so costly. For example, the shipping industry can’t afford to lose one-third of its containers each year.
ONE Apus lost 1,816
The Japanese container ship ONE Apus has been diverted to the port of Kobe after a massive stack collapse occurred on December 2.
The vessel, which is managed by NYK Shipmanagement Pte. Ltd., lost 1,816 shipping containers at sea, including 64 categorized as dangerous goods.
The incident occurred while the vessel was sailing from Yantian, China, to Long Beach, U.S.
The container ship ONE Apus is a 14,000 TEU vessel operating on THE Alliance’s FP2 service. The ONE fleet also includes 17 other 14,000 TEU vessels.
The World Shipping Council’s Containers Lost at Sea 2020 report estimates that 1,382 shipping containers were lost each year.
One of the largest shipping container losses in history, this tragedy may have occurred due to an overload of the ship.
The company is the third-largest ocean carrier and the first to suffer such a large loss. The company’s top importers were Flexport International, MOL Consolidation, and Topocean Consolidation.
Other top ocean carriers included DHL Global Forwarding, Kuehne + Nagel, and C.H. Robinson. The company’s losses totaled $54.5 million.
The ONE Apus lost over 1,800 shipping containers in the Pacific Ocean on November 30. This was the largest container shipping disaster since the MOL Comfort sank in the Indian Ocean in 2013.
Maersk Essen lost 750 boxes in 2014 while MSC ZOE had a 342 container loss in January.
This is an unprecedented loss for shipping companies, but the lessons from previous incidents can be applied to the ONE Apus.
MSC Aries lost 41
A shipping container carrier named MSC Aries has lost 41 containers overboard in the Pacific Ocean.
The ship had been in the area when the storm struck, and halted a voyage from Long Beach, California, to Ningbo, China, where it was slated to arrive on Friday.
This is the latest in a string of ship mishaps over the past two months. The World Shipping Council says an average of 1,382 containers go missing at sea each year, with most of these mishaps occurring in the North Pacific.
MSC says the ship berthed at Ningbo, China, Thursday and will resume service once the survey has been completed.
The Swiss-Italian shipping company MSC has confirmed that the ship lost a limited number of shipping containers in an incident over the Pacific Ocean on Jan. 29.
It’s unclear how many of the containers fell, but the company said that the containers were empty and going back to China. The company has hired marine-claims consultancy WK Webster to look into the incident.
Nevertheless, the company has not yet released a full report of the damage.
The MSC Aries encountered bad weather while en route to Ningbo, China, on February 2. The affected containers were mainly empty. According to initial reports, no cargo fell overboard.
MSC is working with relevant authorities and parties to allow the vessel to berth in Ningbo on February 3. The company will determine what the condition of the damaged containers.
The company has pledged to pay compensation to all affected parties.
MSC Aries sank
Container ships are under pressure with a new rash of spills, and one of them was an MSC Aries, which reported losing 41 containers while returning to China.
The ship was based in Long Beach, California and had traveled to Shanghai and Ningbo, China, to refill empty containers. It was reportedly hit by heavy weather on the journey, resulting in the loss of some containers.
The ship can carry up to 14,300 twenty-foot equivalent units, and its loss is estimated at $5 million per container.
There are approximately five million shipping containers on cargo ships. At least one falls overboard every hour, and each year, 10,000 large containers are lost at sea.
There is no consensus on what happens to these containers, and the lack of visibility has raised concerns worldwide.
A robotic submarine from the Monterray Bay Aquarium Research Institute sailed out in 2004 to examine a lost container. The researchers found that there is very little information about the fate of the containers.
There are many reasons why containers are lost at sea. The World Shipping Council, which studies the shipping industry, commissioned a nine-year study.
The study found that while the number of containers lost per year was a very small percentage, it spiked sharply in 2020/21. Despite these factors, the World Shipping Council report notes that this spike was driven by major events.
While this is still an estimate, it’s important to remember that the container loss rate is not reported until the ship has landed in port. This way, the shipping container owner can determine where it’s located.
MSC Aries sank in North Pacific
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co. has confirmed that a limited number of empty containers were lost in the North Pacific Ocean.
The ship, which was sailing from Long Beach, California, to Ningbo, China, lost some of its cargo when it was struck by heavy weather. The company says preliminary reports show no cargo went overboard.
However, it’s too early to know how many containers were lost. A survey is underway to assess the condition of the remaining containers on the ship.
A marine-claims consultancy named W.K. Webster as the surveyor will determine the extent of the damage caused by the collision.
The accident has caused an outpour of information. A spokesperson for the shipping company said that the MSC Aries was en route from Long Beach to Ningbo when the ship encountered heavy weather.
As a result, only empty containers were affected, and initial reports have indicated that there was no cargo spilled overboard.
The company is working with authorities and other parties to allow the ship to berth in Ningbo on February 3, but it must wait until it reaches its destination before determining whether the cargo was spilled.
The MSC Aries was built in 2020 and is registered in Portugal. Its managers, Zodiac Maritime Ltd. and MSC Ship Management Ltd., both of London, advise that the container ships that spilled overboard were empty ones, which were being shipped back to China.
Loaded containers that were on deck might have suffered damage as a result of the collapsed deck stow.
MSC Aries sank in the North Sea
Last week, MSC Aries, part of its MSC Sequoia service, reported losing 41 shipping containers at sea. The ship was moving empty containers back to China.
Its cargo capacity is 14,300 TEU, but it had trouble maneuvering due to bad weather. Hundreds of other containers were also lost last week, but Maersk Shanghai has no official figure for container losses.
However, this is a significant number.
While many people assume that sea accidents are a very rare occurrence, they do pose a major environmental and safety risk.
According to a report released last year by the World Shipping Council, an estimated seven hundred and seventy-nine containers were lost each year.
While the number is low, it spiked in 2020/21, with a staggering 3,000 containers lost in just three months. While the statistics are not entirely clear, the question is worth asking: “What is the cost of this epidemic?”
The Dutch government commissioned a review of shipping practices and technologies to find out what could be done to increase the chances of recovering the containers.
The report states that the current situation is insufficient to track all lost containers and that improvements are needed.
The World Shipping Council is supporting this new rule because it supports the transparency and safety of shippers. Its members are committed to making shipping safer, so they are calling for an amendment to SOLAS.