425 Vessels Detained! Detention Figures Surge Sharply; Maximum Alert Issued for Aged Ships and Reefers, with 28 Typical Cases & High-Definition Illustrations Attached

Update time：2026-07-10

ClassNK (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai) recently released its 2025 Annual Port State Control (PSC) Report. Statistics show that a total of 425 ClassNK-registered vessels were detained worldwide in 2025, representing an 11.5% year-on-year increase from the 381 detentions recorded in 2024. The total number of detainable deficiencies hit 1,752, marking an overall sharp deterioration in PSC inspection outcomes.

I. Detention Rate of Reefers Triples; General Cargo Vessels See Worsening Performance

Analyzed by ship type, reefers recorded the most striking surge in detention risk. Their detention rate rocketed from 2.8% in 2023 to 10.9% in 2025, nearly tripling within three years. A total of 12 reefers were detained throughout 2025, making them the highest-risk vessel category across all ship types.

General cargo ships ranked second, with their detention rate climbing year by year from 6.0% in 2023 to 8.5%. Sixty-five such vessels were detained in 2025, reflecting a steady upward risk trend.

Bulk carriers remained the vessel type with the largest absolute number of detentions, at 268 units, accounting for 63% of all detained ships. Their detention rate stood at 6.3%, a moderate uptick compared with 2024.

Container ships (3.8%), oil/chemical tankers (2.4%) and gas carriers (2.7%) presented relatively lower detention risks, yet all posted rises of varying magnitudes versus 2024.

II. Detention Rate of Vessels Over 25 Years Old Exceeds 16%; Risks Rise Exponentially with Vessel Age

The positive correlation between vessel age and detention rate has become increasingly prominent:

l Vessels under 5 years old: Detention rate stands at merely 1.4%, remaining at a low level

l Vessels aged 10–15 years: Detention rate hits 3.7%, entering the risk zone

l Vessels aged 15–20 years: Detention rate reaches 6.4%, with risks doubled

l Vessels aged 20–25 years: Detention rate rises to 11.1%, falling into the high-risk category

l Vessels over 25 years of age (ultra-aged vessels): Detention rate surges sharply to 16.2%, an increase of 5 percentage points from 11.0% in 2024. A total of 96 such vessels were detained in the year, over five times the average detention rate.

Structural defects and aging equipment on aged vessels have become the primary triggers for PSC detention. Extra precautionary measures must be prioritized for all vessels older than 15 years.

III. China Retains Top Spot in Global Detentions; Turkey Emerges as a New High-Risk Jurisdiction

The global regional landscape of PSC inspections witnessed notable shifts in 2025:

1. China (139 vessels): It remained the region with the highest number of detentions worldwide, accounting for 32.7% of all detained ClassNK vessels, with an average of 3.6 deficiencies per detained ship. Detention grounds adopted by China’s PSC authorities are highly concentrated in fire safety (163 deficiencies, 35.6% of the total), watertight and weathertight integrity (54 deficiencies), life-saving appliances (51 deficiencies), emergency systems (20 deficiencies), and ISM-related non-conformities.The top three recurrent deficiencies are fixed fire-extinguishing installations, ventilators, and lifeboats.

2. Australia (44 vessels): Ranking firmly second. Its inspections are known for being targeted, concise and high-impact. A vessel may be detained with merely 1.3 deficiencies on average, with scrutiny focused on watertight & weathertight integrity and ISM Code non-conformities.

3. Turkey (32 vessels): The biggest dark horse. Detentions soared from 7 in 2024 to 32, representing a growth rate exceeding 350%, making it a new high-risk port zone for Mediterranean shipping routes.

4. Paris MOU: The overall detention rate stands at 3.95%, consistently higher than the Tokyo MOU’s 2.70%. European ports adopt stricter inspection standards. Countries including Italy and Belgium record as many as 7 to 8 deficiencies per detained vessel, indicating extremely thorough inspection depth.

IV. Major Deficiency Hotspot: Fire Safety Stands Head and Shoulders Above All; Seven Deficiency Items Account for Nearly Half of All Findings

Out of the 1,752 detainable deficiencies recorded in 2025, fire safety related issues topped the list by a wide margin with 426 entries, accounting for 24.3% of the total and ranking as the primary cause of vessel detention by far.

The top five deficiency categories are listed below:

1. Fire Safety (426 items)

2. Life-Saving Appliances (172 items)

3. Emergency Systems (169 items)

4. ISM Code Compliance (159 items)

5. Navigation Safety (136 items)

When broken down into individual deficiency items, seven categories - ISM non-conformities, fixed fire-extinguishing installations, lifeboats, ventilators, fire doors, fire pumps and fire detection & alarm systems - together make up over 45% of all deficiencies and constitute the core focus of PSC inspections.

Breakdown of recurrent defects:

l Fire safety deficiencies mainly include corroded and perforated piping, faulty self-closing devices on fire doors, insufficient discharge pressure of fire pumps, and malfunctioning fire detectors.

l Common life-saving appliance defects cover unstartable lifeboat engines, undercharged storage batteries, and defective release mechanisms.

l Corroded and seized watertight fittings such as ventilators and hatch covers are persistent recurring violations that keep appearing during every inspection cycle.

l The proportion of ISM system non-conformities and insufficient practical operation proficiency among seafarers keeps rising, while regulatory scrutiny over documentary and procedural compliance has become increasingly rigorous.

V. Core Recommendations for PSC Inspection Preparation

1. For aged vessels, reefers and general cargo ships: Conduct targeted self-inspections in advance. Vessels over 25 years old in particular must complete comprehensive inspections and tests on fire-fighting equipment, life-saving appliances and watertight fittings prior to arrival at port.

2. For vessels calling at ports in China, Australia and Turkey: Implement targeted preventive arrangements. Chinese PSC inspections focus heavily on physical equipment defects; Australian inspectors prioritize safety management systems and watertight integrity; for calls to Turkey, vessels are advised to prepare in line with European inspection standards.

3. Fire safety systems are the top priority: Prior to port arrival, test the pressure of the vessel’s entire fire main network, self-closing functions of fire doors, fixed fire-extinguishing systems and emergency fire pumps. Inspect latent defects including pipe corrosion and damaged thermal insulation cladding.

4. Attach great importance to documentary and procedural inspections: Intensify crew drills covering fire response, abandon ship procedures and lifeboat launching to guarantee proficient hands-on operation. Verify ISM-related documents, seaman’s certificates and seaman employment agreements beforehand to avoid invalidity or non-compliance.

5. Weathertight fittings such as ventilators and hatch covers: These items incur low maintenance costs yet carry high detention risks. Carry out regular lubrication and maintenance during voyages to ensure smooth operation and intact sealing.

PSC inspection criteria are becoming increasingly stringent, with a notable rebound in vessel detentions. Ship management companies shall integrate PSC inspection preparation into routine maintenance, instead of making last-minute rush preparations before berthing, so as to fundamentally cut detention risks.

VI. Examples of Typical Deficiencies

1. Severe corrosion of CO₂fire-extinguishing pipelines