New container cleanliness guidelines approved 

While crucial for the smooth functioning of the global supply chain, containers and their cargo 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 provide easy-to-use best practices to help everyone do their part. 

For the 2024 update, 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.

“Each party in the international container supply chain has a custodial responsibility to make sure cargo and containers are clean when they arrive and when they leave their care. If we all live up to these standards, containers will reach their destination faster and our agriculture, forestry and natural resources are protected,” says Lars Kjaer, senior vice president of WSC.  

Experience shows that the introduction of new pests can severely upset an existing ecosystem, with serious ecological consequences and possibly billion dollar impacts on a nation’s economy. Regulators and national authorities play a central role in stopping the transfer of pests, but given the scale of global trade it is prevention – stopping pests from entering cargo or containers in the first place – that is the best solution. With the updated 'Prevention of Pest Contamination of Containers: Joint Industry Guidelines for the Cleaning of Containers', BIC, COA, ICHCA, IICL and WSC are looking to further improve the level of prevention across the supply chain to stop the transfer of pests. 

Download your free copy (English & Chinese): Pests — World Shipping Council