Title: Adrift Container Reporting Tool Translation: Tool for reporting the loss or sighting of containers adrift.
At its 11th session in September 2025, the IMO’s CCC Sub-Committee examined new obligations regarding the reporting of containers lost at sea. The measure adopted—namely the obligation to report the loss of containers and the sighting of drifting containers—has been in force since 1 January 2026. Summary: - In September 2025, the IMO CCC Sub-Committee reviewed new reporting requirements for containers lost at sea. - The adopted rule requires reporting both container losses and sightings of drifting containers. - The requirement has been effective since 1 January 2026.
The SOLAS regulations V/31 and V/32 now require the master of any ship that has sighted drifting or lost containers to promptly transmit a detailed report to nearby ships, the nearest coastal State, and the flag State. The latter is also required to officially notify the IMO of any loss of containers, thereby enhancing navigational safety and protecting the marine environment.
IMO circular CCC.1/Circ.7, issued on 26 November 2025, supports the aforementioned SOLAS requirements by providing a template for ‘reporting the loss of containers’.
Required actions
Shipping companies must adapt their internal practices to comply with the new reporting obligations for lost containers. This includes updating the SMS, training bridge teams on SOLAS V/31 and V/32 procedures, and reviewing communication protocols with flag States and coastal authorities. They must also establish reliable systems for recording and verifying data on container losses to ensure the accuracy of the submitted reports.
The following report versions are inspired by the document ‘New reporting requirement – loss or observation of freight containers’ from the Britannia P&I Club, which you can consult at:
https://britanniapandi.com/2025/12/loss-or-observation-of-freight-containers/
The first table relates to the loss of containers by a ship, and the second is intended for a ship to report observations of drifting containers.
Container loss report
