CONTAINERS, PORTS & DEPOTS CERTIFICATION
Certification plays a key role in demonstrating the safety, quality and integrity of containers worldwide.
Ensuring compliance in transport & logistics
The global container and logistics industry sits at the backbone of international trade, moving goods safely and efficiently worldwide. The sector is highly regulated, making certification an essential step in each carrier’s journey.
Bureau Veritas helps operators and manufacturers navigate different regulations and standards. Our SAFE TRANSPORT offer covers the full spectrum of certification services (from design verification to inspection) for containers, ports and depots.
Containers
- Today, more than 45 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of in-service dry and refrigerated units are in operation, along with around 900,000 tank containers.
- China sits at the geographical center of the container industry: in 2024, Chinese manufacturers produced 95% of new containers, and exported more than 98% worldwide.
- For tank containers, certification frameworks require inspections every 2.5 years (intermediate) and every 5 years (periodic), in line with international regulations such as CSC, IMDG, ADR, RID, Transport of Canada and US-DOT.
Ports and depots
The performance of ports and inland depots is critical to the efficiency of the logistics sector.
Major hubs such as Shanghai, Singapore, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Los Angeles, and Jebel Ali handle very large volumes of TEU. At the same time, operators must maintain high standards of safety, labor practices, and regulatory compliance to preserve operational reliability and customer trust.
Product Manager - Transport & Logistics Services
Bureau Veritas
SAFE TRANSPORT by Bureau Veritas is your single-entry point for a secure and compliant supply chain, anywhere in the world. From certification to inspection, we provide end-to-end logistics solutions tailored to your multi-market operations.
OUR SERVICES
WE ARE A SINGLE-ENTRY POINT FOR MULTI-MARKET CERTIFICATION
Bureau Veritas acts as a single-entry point for multi-market certification. We help clients navigate international and local regulations for all types of equipment, including tank containers, bulk containers, refrigerated units, and specialized container systems. Our clients are shipping companies, owners, leasing companies, manufacturers and depots.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What are the main certifications for containers?
Operators must navigate international, regional and national regulations and standards:
- International: Convention for Safe Containers (CSC), International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG), International Union of Railways (UIC), International Customs Convention Certification (TIR), International Organization for the Standardization (ISO), Agreement for the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR), Regulations for the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID)
- Europe: ADR and RID apply
- North America: 49-CFR (US-DOT), ASME and Transport of Canada
Learn more about our container certification here BUREAU VERITAS MARINE & OFFSHORE
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How often must containers undergo inspection?
- For tank containers, inspection occurs every 2.5 years (intermediate) or every 5 years (periodic).
- For shipping containers, the first inspection takes place five years after entry into service, and subsequently every two and a half years.
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What are the five types of containers?
These include shipping containers, reefer containers, tank containers, open top containers, and flat rack containers.
For more information about our container certification and inspection services, visit CONTAINER SHIPS