The shipping companies with the best and worst performance in PSC inspections in August were recorded in a month full of inspections, ship detentions, and strict observations from port authorities around the world.
August 2025 was yet another intense month regarding Port State Control (PSC) inspections with 6,340 inspections and 167 ship detentions.
The overall detention rate was set at 2.63%. Although the number does not seem high, for those of us who have experienced PSC on board, we know how much disruption a ship detention can cause, both financially and in terms of prestige.
Most inspections were conducted in the Tokyo MOU with nearly 3,800 inspections, while the highest detention rates were recorded in the Indian Ocean (5.01%) and the Black Sea (4.40%). Observations mainly focused on Ballast Water, ship certificates, navigation equipment, and lifesaving and fire-fighting appliances.
It is no coincidence that most detentions are from ports in China and the Black Sea. All of us who travel have faced the difficult port authorities of China and the Black Sea, which, besides being very strict, are often also excessive, making the life of the crew very difficult.
These are the most “dangerous” ports
Some ports stood out for their very high ship detention rates:
• Qizhou (China) – 20.8%
• Newcastle (Australia) – 11.1%
• Vancouver (Canada) – 10.9%
• Guangzhou (China) – 9.5%
• Hamburg (Germany) – 9.1%
This shows how different the requirements can be from port to port and what risk a ship takes when berthing in these ports.
The shipping companies with the best performance
Several major management companies stood out in the PSC inspections, having zero detentions and a low average number of deficiencies:
• Fleet Management Ltd (HKG) – 57 inspections, 0 detentions, only 1.09 /inspection.
• COSCO Shipping Bulk Ltd – 22 inspections, 0 detentions, 1.27 deficiencies.
• Seaspan Ship Management Ltd – 28 inspections, 0 detentions, 1.54 deficiencies.
• CMA Ships SAS, NYK Shipmanagement PTE and Anglo-Eastern Ship Management Ltd – also with zero detentions and a low average number of deficiencies
The shipping companies with the worst performance
On the flip side, there were companies that performed poorly, although this does not necessarily mean that these companies do not maintain high standards:
• Technomar Shipping Inc – 24 inspections, detention rate 8.33% and 6.33 /inspection
• Mediterranean Shipping Co SRL – 37 inspections, 5.41% detentions
• Danaos Shipping Co – 28 inspections, 3.57% detentions.
• Synergy Maritime PVT Ltd – 35 inspections, 2.86% detentions.
• MSC Shipmanagement Ltd – 115 inspections, 0.87% detentions but with a high average of observations (2.29).
Regarding PSC observations, we have often witnessed the very strict port authorities in specific ports, with observations that are often deemed excessive or do not correspond to reality at all.
Also, when it comes to insignificant observations, it in no way means that the management and owning companies do not maintain high standards or that their ships are unseaworthy.
Conclusion
August showed once again that PSC inspections remain one of the most critical factors for the smooth operation of ships.
Well-organized companies manage to have ships with zero detentions, while others are subjected to strict criticism.
In any case, at the end of the day, the burden falls on the captain and the crew of each ship, who are on the front line of every inspection.
