EnglishNEW REPORTING REQUIREMENT – LOSS OR OBSERVATION OF FREIGHT CONTAINERS
Published: 16 December 2025
From 1 January 2026, SOLAS Chapter V Regulation 31 is amended to reflect and clarify new reporting requirements for the loss or observation of freight containers from ships. The ship’s master, or where the master is unable, the company, will report any loss of freight container without delay to nearby ships and the nearest coastal state. The reporting format is added in SOLAS Chapter V Regulation 32 and will include the information listed below in Table 1.
This amendment also imposes the requirement on ships masters to report any observation of a freight container drifting at sea without delay to nearby ships and the nearest coastal state, following the reporting format listed below in table 2.
Shipowners are recommended to update their procedures and reporting format(s) as necessary to meet these requirements. Below are some tables that can be used as a guideline to assist with reporting the loss or observation of freight containers.
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