The World Shipping Council (WSC) has launched a Cargo Safety Program, an industry-led initiative to detect misdeclared and undeclared dangerous goods in order to prevent ship fires.
The program combines AI-powered cargo screening and common inspection standards to identify misdeclared and undeclared high-risk shipments before they are loaded.
Ship fires are at their highest level in over a decade, according to Allianz's Safety and Shipping Review 2025. Misdeclared dangerous goods are a leading cause of ship fires, reported as responsible for more than a quarter of all cargo-related incidents.
“We have seen too many tragic incidents where misdeclared cargo has led to catastrophic fires, including the loss of life,” said Joe Kramek, President and CEO of the World Shipping Council. “The WSC Cargo Safety Program strengthens the industry’s safety net by combining shared screening technology, common inspection standards, and real-world feedback to reduce risk.”
At the heart of the program is a digital cargo screening tool powered by the National Cargo Bureau’s (NCB) technology. It scans millions of bookings in real time using keyword searches, trade pattern recognition and AI-driven algorithms to identify potential risks. Alerts are reviewed by carriers and, when needed, verified through targeted physical inspections.
The program also establishes common inspection standards for verifying shipments and an incident feedback loop to ensure lessons from real-world cases strengthen prevention.
Carriers representing more than 70% of global TEU capacity have joined the program.