The World Shipping Council (WSC) is urging governments to close a gap in international dangerous goods regulations that allows containers carrying thousands of lithium batteries to be transported without carriers being informed of the hazard.
The WSC issued the call on September 10, 2026, as the transport of batteries continues to grow rapidly and cargo fires remain a persistent risk at sea.
The issue centers on Special Provision 188 of the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, which exempts smaller batteries from certain requirements when they meet specified testing, packaging and capacity criteria.
However, the WSC said there is no limit on how many exempt batteries can be consolidated in one container.
WSC calculates that a container carrying approximately 4,200 laptops could contain around 416 kWh of stored energy, equivalent to three or four electric vehicles, without requiring dangerous goods documentation or container placarding.
“Right now, a container can be packed with thousands of lithium batteries and still travel without being declared as dangerous goods,” said Joe Kramek, president and chief executive officer of the World Shipping Council. “The SP188 exemption was intended to simplify the transport of individual devices with small batteries, not to make entire container loads invisible.”
Global lithium-ion battery deployment in 2025 was six times higher than in 2020, according to WSC which cited data from the International Energy Agency, with battery demand expected to double by 2030. Insurer Allianz estimates that a container ship fire occurs every 17 days.
The WSC emphasized that batteries are transported safely every day when they are properly declared and their associated risks are appropriately managed.
The concern, it said, arises when carriers, crews, ports and emergency responders are unaware that the hazard is present.
Without that information, carriers cannot properly assess the risk, choose appropriate stowage, separate the container from other cargo or prepare an informed emergency response.
“We know what can happen when hazards are invisible,” Kramek said. “Batteries shipped under the exemption have caused serious container fires, putting people, ports, ships and the marine environment at risk.”
WSC, backed by five governments and a broad coalition of industry organisations, has submitted a paper to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for consideration. The proposal sets out a potential maximum container-level threshold, above which shipments of batteries would have to be declared and potentially placarded.
“The current rules are not working as intended,” Kramek added. “As battery shipments continue to grow, we need a better solution that makes these cargoes visible and allows the risks to be properly managed.”
Governments will consider the issue at the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Carriage of Cargoes and Containers, which is scheduled to meet in London from September 14 to 18, 2026.
