Cargo theft surged 60% in 2025 with $725 million in losses, and pilferage from containers at ports and depots is the single most common method

Confirmed cargo theft incidents in the US rose 18% year-over-year in 2025, from 2,243 to 2,646 incidents, with estimated losses surging 60% to nearly $725 million. The average theft value rose to $273,990 per incident, up 36% from $202,364 in 2024. The most common method is pilferage — thieves opening containers and removing a portion of the contents — which accounted for 52% of all incidents in Q2 2025. Container tampering appears in 12-15% of officially reported incidents, though the actual rate is believed to be much higher because many pilferage losses go undetected until the consignee opens the container at its final destination. For the shipper, the financial pain extends far beyond the stolen goods. Filing an insurance claim triggers deductibles, premium increases, and months of investigation. Many small shippers carry inadequate cargo insurance or high deductibles that make claims uneconomical for losses under $25,000. The consignee who receives a short-shipped container must file claims against multiple parties — the carrier, the terminal operator, the trucking company — each of whom denies responsibility. Food and beverage products experienced the largest theft increase in 2025, with 708 incidents (up 47% from 2024), meaning grocery importers and food distributors are disproportionately hit. The problem persists because of jurisdictional fragmentation. A container moves through a carrier's vessel, a port terminal, a chassis depot, a trucking company, and possibly a rail yard before reaching its destination. Each handoff is a vulnerability point, and no single entity has security responsibility across the full chain. Container seal technology has barely advanced in decades — most containers use simple bolt seals that can be cut and replaced with a counterfeit seal in under 30 seconds. GPS tracking devices exist but add $15-50 per container per trip, and carriers resist absorbing this cost. Law enforcement typically treats cargo theft as low-priority property crime, with recovery rates below 20%.