On July 31, Chinapsc released the detention statistics of the China Maritime Safety Administration for the first half of 2026. In this issue, below analysis for all practitioners to prepare for PSC inspections.

According to the data released by the China Maritime Safety Administration, China’s PSC inspections in the first half of 2026 exhibited the following characteristics:

According to the data released by the China Maritime Safety Administration, China’s PSC inspections in the first half of 2026 exhibited the following characteristics:

1. Extremely high flag state concentration, with Panama far ahead. Panama-flagged vessels account for 67.28% of total detentions, and the top three flags exceed 78% combined. Smaller flags, though fewer in number, have higher deficiencies per vessel and concerning technical conditions.

2. Bulk carriers are the "absolute main force" of detentions; general cargo ships have the most severe problems. Bulk carriers account for 45.23% of detentions with an average age of 19 years; general cargo ships average 4.24 deficiencies per vessel, the highest among major ship types.

3. Port distribution is highly correlated with port function. Shanghai has more container ship detentions, Tianjin has over 70% bulk carriers, and Guangzhou has the highest average deficiencies — each port's detention profile closely matches its route structure and ship type distribution.

4. Fire safety deficiencies account for nearly 40%, the No.1 cause of detention. Frequent deficiencies in fixed fire extinguishing installations, remote control systems, and fire detection/alarm systems are the primary reasons for vessel detentions.

5. Older vessels remain the focus of PSC inspections. Vessels over 15 years old account for 75.6% of total detentions, with a clear positive correlation between ship age and detention risk.

The detailed breakdown of the data is as follows:

PART 01  Overall Overview

In the first half of 2026, China MSA conducted 5,203 PSC initial inspections nationwide, detaining 703 vessels with an overall detention rate of 13.51%. A total of 2,583 detainable deficiencies were identified, averaging 3.67 deficiencies per detained vessel.

Monthly distribution shows a "low-start, high-finish" pattern. February saw the lowest detentions (45) due to the Spring Festival holiday, followed by a rapid rise from March, peaking in May (175), with a slight decline in June (124).

PART 02  Flag State Analysis

2.1 High Concentration of Flag States

Detained vessels flew 54 different flags, but concentration is extremely high. Panama leads with 473 detentions, accounting for 67.28% — over two-thirds of the total. Liberia (44, 6.26%) and Marshall Islands (33, 4.69%) rank second and third respectively.

2.2 Why Does Panama Dominate?

Panama-flagged vessels account for such a high proportion of detentions for the following reasons:

First, base effect. Panama is the world's largest flag state by registered tonnage. With a large base of Panama-flagged vessels calling at Chinese ports, the absolute number of detentions is naturally high.

Second, older fleet structure. Panama-flagged vessels have a higher proportion of older ships, especially bulk carriers and general cargo ships aged 15-25 years, with prominent equipment aging issues.

Third, classification society distribution warrants attention. Among Panama-flagged detentions, NKK leads with 205 vessels (43.3%), followed by KR with 45 (9.5%) and RINA with 39 (8.2%). This indicates room for improvement in survey quality among certain Recognized Organizations (ROs).

2.3 High Deficiency Rates Among Smaller Flags

Notably, while Sao Tome and Principe only has 15 detentions, its average deficiencies per vessel reaches 5.13, far exceeding the overall average (3.67). Cameroon-flagged vessels also average 4.17 deficiencies per ship.

This phenomenon suggests that the overall technical condition of vessels under some smaller flags is concerning, with numerous and serious deficiencies per ship — often "detained on first inspection."

PART 03  Ship Type Analysis

3.1 Three Ship Types Account for Nearly 80%

By ship type, bulk carriers lead with 318 detentions (45.23%), followed by container ships (118, 16.79%) and general cargo/multipurpose vessels (116, 16.50%). Together, these three types account for 78.5% of all detentions.

3.2 Bulk Carriers — Detention "Disaster Zone"

Bulk carriers have always been a key focus and challenge in PSC inspections. In H1 2026, 318 bulk carriers were detained, with an average age of 19.0 years and 3.51 deficiencies per vessel.

Key characteristics of bulk carrier detentions:

High flag concentration: Panama 221 (69.5%), Marshall Islands 29 (9.1%), Liberia 25 (7.9%) — top three flags exceed 86%.

Prominent watertight/weathertight deficiencies: Deficiencies in hatch covers, ventilators and other watertight facilities are frequent causes of bulk carrier detentions.

Widespread structural corrosion: Older bulk carriers suffer from severe hull structural corrosion and deck rusting.

3.3 General Cargo Ships — Highest Deficiencies per Vessel

Although general cargo/multipurpose vessels (116 detentions) lag behind bulk carriers and container ships in quantity, their average 4.24 deficiencies per vessel is the highest among major ship types.

This reflects that general cargo ships tend to be older with poorer equipment maintenance. High deficiencies per ship indicate poor overall technical condition, often involving systemic rather than isolated issues.

PART 04  Port of Detention Analysis

4.1 Port Distribution Pattern

Detentions occurred across 55 ports, with the top five accounting for 273 vessels (38.8% of total). Shanghai leads by a wide margin with 104 detentions, followed by Ningbo and Zhoushan (43 each), Guangzhou (42), and Tianjin (41).

4.2 Shanghai - High in Both Quantity and Severity

Shanghai detained 104 vessels in H1, averaging 4.25 deficiencies per ship — both above national averages. By ship type, container ships dominate (44, 42.3%), consistent with Shanghai's role as a container hub port.

Flag state distribution is also highly concentrated: Panama-flagged vessels account for 81 detentions (77.9%), far exceeding other flags.

4.3 Guangzhou - Highest Average Deficiencies

Among major ports, Guangzhou has the highest average deficiencies per detained vessel at 4.95, ranking first nationwide. This suggests either stricter inspection standards or poorer overall vessel condition at the port.

Guangzhou's detention profile is more balanced, with container ships and bulk carriers equally represented, plus a notable proportion of tankers and gas carriers — reflecting the diversity of vessel types in South China ports.

4.4 Tianjin - Bulk Carriers Exceed 70%

Among Tianjin's 41 detentions, bulk carriers account for 31 vessels (75.6%), with general cargo and container ships at 5 each (12.2%). This extremely high proportion of bulk carriers is remarkable among major Chinese ports.

This is closely related to Tianjin's trade route structure — northern ports have strong bulk cargo demand, with a high volume of arriving bulk carriers and a high proportion of older ships.

PART 05  Deficiency Distribution Analysis

5.1 Deficiency Categories Overview

Among 2,583 deficiencies, fire safety deficiencies total 1,001 (38.75%), nearly accounting for half of all deficiencies. Pollution prevention (296, 11.46%), water/weathertight conditions (286, 11.07%), and life saving appliances (252, 9.76%) rank second through fourth.

5.2 Fire Safety — The #1 Cause of Detention

Fire safety deficiencies lead by a wide margin with 1,001 items, nearly 40% of all deficiencies. Among these, fixed fire extinguishing installation deficiencies total 201, ranking first among all specific deficiency items.

High-frequency deficiencies in fire safety TOP5

1. Fixed fire extinguishing installation — 201

2. Remote Means of control (machinery spaces) — 94

3. Division (decks, bulkheads, penetrations) — 78

4. Jacketed high pressure lines & oil leakage alarm — 74

5. Fire detection and alarm system — 69

Frequent fire safety deficiencies are mainly caused by aging fire-fighting systems on older vessels, inadequate maintenance, and crew unfamiliarity with operations. For shipping companies, fire safety should always be the top priority in vessel management.

5.2 Pollution Prevention - MARPOL Annex I is the Hardest Hit

Pollution prevention deficiencies total 296 items, with MARPOL Annex I-related deficiencies at 137 (46.3% of pollution category), ballast water at 68 (23.0%), and MARPOL Annex VI at 47 (15.9%).

Specifically, oil filtering equipment deficiencies (74 items) and 15 PPM alarm arrangements (32 items) are frequent problems in the pollution prevention domain.

5.3 Watertight/Weathertight - A Chronic Problem for Bulk Carriers

Water/weathertight deficiencies total 286 items, with ventilators, air pipes, and casings at 112, and hatch covers etc. at 63.

Such deficiencies are particularly prominent on bulk carriers, directly related to their operational characteristics — frequent cargo loading/unloading causes heavy wear on hatch cover seals, and deck equipment like ventilators is prone to corrosion from prolonged exposure to sea wind and spray.

PART 06  Classification Society Analysis

6.1 Classification Society Rankings

Forty classification societies are involved in detained vessels, with Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NKK/NK) leading with 232 detentions (33.00%). RINA (58, 8.25%), KR (55, 7.82%), and LR (51, 7.25%) rank second through fourth.

It should be noted that detention numbers are directly related to the base of vessels surveyed by each society, and inspection quality cannot be judged by detention numbers alone. As one of the world's major classification societies, NKK surveys a large number of vessels, so high absolute detention numbers are to be expected.

PART 07  Ship Age & Tonnage Analysis

7.1 Ship Age Distribution

The average age of detained vessels is 18.9 years. Vessels aged 15-20 years are the most numerous (256, 36.4%), followed by those aged 20-25 years (154, 21.9%). Vessels over 15 years old account for 75.6% of total detentions.

This data confirms the general rule that "higher ship age = higher detention risk." Vessels over 15 years old suffer from equipment aging and high maintenance costs, making them key targets of PSC inspections.

7.2 Tonnage Distribution

The average gross tonnage of detained vessels is 37,908 GT, ranging from 341 GT to 236,228 GT. The overall distribution shows a "large middle, small ends" pattern, with medium-sized vessels (10,000-50,000 GT) accounting for a high proportion.

------------------------------------------Reprinted from PSCReady