Every year, 250 million containers are transported across the world with food, clothes, electronics and other goods. While crucial for the smooth functioning of the global supply chain, containers and their cargoes can also harbour and transfer contaminating pests.
All parties in the supply chain have a shared responsibility for stopping the spread of pests by keeping cargo and containers clean, and the Prevention of Pest Contamination of Containers: Joint Industry Guidelines for the Cleaning of Containers has been updated to provide easy-to-use best practices.
The 2024 update provides further detail on the concept of custodial responsibility – the inspections and measures that each party in the supply chain should undertake when the container is in their custody, as well as the requirement for the receiving party to inform the tenderer if the container or its cargo has any visible pest contamination.
The industry parties behind the Guidelines – the Bureau International des Containers (BIC), the Container Owners Association (COA), the Institute of International Container Lessors (IICL) and World Shipping Council (WSC) – have welcomed the International Cargo Handling Coordination Association (ICHCA) as a new partner in supporting the implementation of the guidelines among cargo handlers.