Skip to content
Search AI Powered
Human content, AI powered search.

Latest Stories

CIG: Container ship fires could be reduced by better data

containers stacked on ship

Less than 5% of 167 IMO member nations report results of freight container inspections, maritime transport coalition says.

Supply Chain Xchange Staff
By Supply Chain Xchange StaffSep 19, 2024
Supply Chain Xchange Staff
See Full Bio

A coalition of freight transport and cargo handling organizations is calling on countries to honor their existing resolutions to report the results of national container inspection programs, and for the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to publish those results.

Those two steps would help improve safety in the carriage of goods by sea, according to the Cargo Integrity Group (CIG), which is a is a partnership of industry associations seeking to raise awareness and greater uptake of the IMO/ILO/UNECE Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units (2014) – often referred to as CTU Code.

The initiative is supported by the International Cargo Handling Coordination Association (ICHCA), Bureau International des Containers (BIC), Container Owners Association (COA), International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA), Global Shippers’ Forum, TT Club, and World Shipping Council (WSC).

According to the Cargo Integrity Group, member governments of the IMO adopted resolutions more than 20 years ago agreeing to conduct routine inspections of freight containers and the cargoes packed in them. But less than 5% of 167 national administrations covered by the agreement are regularly submitting the results of their inspections to IMO in publicly available form.

The low numbers of reports means that insufficient data is available for IMO or industry to draw reliable conclusions, fundamentally undermining their efforts to improve the safety and sustainability of shipments by sea, CIG said.

Meanwhile, the dangers posed by poorly packed, mis-handled, or mis-declared containerized shipments has been demonstrated again recently in a series of fires and explosions aboard container ships. Whilst the precise circumstances of those incidents remain under investigation, the Cargo Integrity Group says it is concerned that measures already in place to help identify possible weaknesses are not being fully implemented and that opportunities for improving compliance standards are being missed.

ArticleOcean
international cargo handling coordination association -- ichcaworld shipping councilcargo integrity group -- cig
ArticleOcean
international cargo handling coordination association -- ichcaworld shipping councilcargo integrity group -- cig

Recent

NORD Showcases Robust, Reliable Meat and Poultry Drive Solutions at IPPE
Products

NORD Showcases Robust, Reliable Meat and Poultry Drive Solutions at IPPE

More Stories

photos of grocery supply chain workers

ReposiTrak and Upshop link platforms to enable food traceability

ReposiTrak, a global food traceability network operator, will partner with Upshop, a provider of store operations technology for food retailers, to create an end-to-end grocery traceability solution that reaches from the supply chain to the retail store, the firms said today.

The partnership creates a data connection between suppliers and the retail store. It works by integrating Salt Lake City-based ReposiTrak’s network of thousands of suppliers and their traceability shipment data with Austin, Texas-based Upshop’s network of more than 450 retailers and their retail stores.

Keep ReadingShow less
minority woman with charts of business progress

Study: Inclusive procurement can fuel economic growth

Inclusive procurement practices can fuel economic growth and create jobs worldwide through increased partnerships with small and diverse suppliers, according to a study from the Illinois firm Supplier.io.

The firm’s “2024 Supplier Diversity Economic Impact Report” found that $168 billion spent directly with those suppliers generated a total economic impact of $303 billion. That analysis can help supplier diversity managers and chief procurement officers implement programs that grow diversity spend, improve supply chain competitiveness, and increase brand value, the firm said.

Keep ReadingShow less
cargo ships at port

Strike threat lingers at ports as January 15 deadline nears

Retailers and manufacturers across the country are keeping a watchful eye on negotiations starting tomorrow to draft a new contract for dockworkers at East coast and Gulf coast ports, as the clock ticks down to a potential strike beginning at midnight on January 15.

Representatives from the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) last spoke in October, when they agreed to end a three-day strike by striking a tentative deal on a wage hike for workers, and delayed debate over the thornier issue of port operators’ desire to add increased automation to port operations.

Keep ReadingShow less
women shopping and checking out at store

Study: Over 15% of all retail returns in 2024 were fraudulent

As retailers enter 2025, they continue struggling to slow the flood of returns fraud, which represented 15.14%--or nearly one-sixth—of all product returns in 2024, according to a report from Appriss Retail and Deloitte.

That percentage is even greater than the 13.21% of total retail sales that were returned. Measured in dollars, returns (including both legitimate and fraudulent) last year reached $685 billion out of the $5.19 trillion in total retail sales.

Keep ReadingShow less
Streetview of flooding between distribution centers

This image generated by artificial intelligence provides an idea of the effect that flooding could have on distribution operations.

How to prepare for disasters: a three-pronged approach for supply chain pros

The nearly consecutive landfalls of Hurricanes Helene and Milton made two things clear: disasters are inevitable, and they’re increasing in frequency, scope, and severity. As logistics and supply chain leaders look toward 2025, disaster recovery planning should be top of mind—not only for safeguarding business operations but also for supporting affected communities in their recovery efforts. (For a look at lessons learned from 2024, please refer to the sidebar below.)

To ensure that they have a comprehensive plan in place, supply chain professionals should take a three-pronged approach that incorporates working with local emergency organizations, nonprofits, and internal partners.

Keep ReadingShow less
Copyright ©2025.