Updated September 23, 2025:

Cargo operations for non-impacted containers aboard the ZIM Mississippi resumed on Monday night, September 22. All units are expected to be discharged from the vessel by Tuesday night, September 23. Following discharge, containers will be weighed and inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard; once approved, holds will be lifted and units released for pickup.

Clients are encouraged to monitor the ITS website for the latest availability updates.

Updated September 19, 2025:

Salvage operations continue at Pier G following the September 9 container collapse involving the ZIM Mississippi. To date, 54 of the containers that fell into the water have been recovered, with several other damaged containers still onboard the ship. Crews are unloading unaffected containers from the Mississippi to safely reach the damaged emissions-control barge. Once the barge is cleared, salvage teams and longshore workers will shift focus to removing the damaged containers still aboard the vessel.

A 500-yard safety zone remains in place around the vessel, and dive teams, drones, and sonar are being used to locate and recover remaining submerged containers.

Authorities continue to prioritize safety, environmental protection, and a return to normal operations.

Updated September 18, 2025:

ZIM shared in customer communications on Wednesday, September 17, that it is coordinating with the relevant parties to resume cargo operations. Our operations teams have confirmed that discharge operations began during the first shift on September 17 (U.S. local time)

All containers related to the incident remain on hold by the U.S. Coast Guard during the official investigation. We will inform impacted clients as soon as their cargo is made available.

Updated September 17, 2025:

Salvage and investigation operations remain in progress at the Port of Long Beach and aboard the ZIM Mississippi. At this stage, no firm timeline has been set for resuming normal operations on the vessel. The terminal and port remain open for normal operations.
The U.S. Coast Guard has placed a manual hold on all containers as they continue their investigation into the cause of the container stack collapse. ZIM has submitted relevant documentation to the U.S. government and will provide further notification once the necessary procedures have been finalized.

Updated September 12, 2025:

ZIM’s ZEX service will call the TraPac terminal at the Port of Los Angeles until its berth at Long Beach’s ITS terminal is available again. ZIM will make the call on a week-to-week basis, and does not anticipate any disruptions to the ZEX service.

Updated September 11, 2025:

Per yesterday’s end-of-day update from the Port of Long Beach:

• An estimated 75 containers were determined to have fallen overboard on Tuesday.
• 25 to 30 containers are fully submerged in the harbor.
• One minor injury has been reported in relation to the incident.

Additionally, the Unified Command—composed of federal, state, and local agencies—have begun salvage operations to open a channel for safe transit to and from Pier G, where Tuesday’s incident occurred. So far, responders have recovered two cargo containers from the bottom of the basin.

The Coast Guard is currently maintaining a 500-yard safety zone around the Mississippi; cargo operations at the port remain largely unaffected otherwise.

Finally, ZIM has indicated that the upcoming ZEX sailing Nestos (ZY6/010) will divert to call the TraPac terminal at the Port of Los Angeles, beginning operations on September 16. All customs entries must be re-submitted to reflect the TraPac terminal discharge.

Originally Published September 10, 2025:

On September 9, 2025, more than 60 shipping containers fell off the ZIM-chartered Mississippi at the Port of Long Beach. According to port officials, the vessel had arrived from China via ZIM’s Trans-Pacific ZEX service, and was berthed at Long Beach’s Pier G when container stacks on board collapsed into the water. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Source: ZIM

Identifying Impacted Shipments

At the time of the incident, Flexport had 36 containers on board the Mississippi. Our team has already contacted customers with any shipments on board, and we are working closely with ZIM and Port of Long Beach officials to determine exactly which containers were impacted.

Currently, the port is stabilizing the vessel and the remaining cargo on the ship, while also prioritizing the safety of the vessel crews, longshoremen, and unimpacted cargo. Once the port, terminal, carrier, and U.S. Coast Guard determine how to best secure the impacted containers and can safely resume working the vessel, crew members will conduct a survey of damaged containers. This process could range from several days to several weeks.

As ZIM, the port, and the terminal work to offload and recover the containers, Flexport will notify affected customers with full confirmation on whether their shipments were impacted by the incident and advise on the right course of action.

Cargo Release

As the lead agency tasked with investigating the incident, the U.S. Coast Guard will determine when the Mississippi's containers can be released to customers. This applies to all containers on board the vessel, whether or not they were damaged by the fall. In past incidents, the process has taken a week or more; damaged containers in particular may take longer to be released.

General Average Declarations

As of today, ZIM has not declared General Average, a maritime procedure through which cargo losses and expenditures are distributed proportionally among all involved stakeholders.

If ZIM does declare General Average:

• All consignees with cargo on the ship would share in the cost of expenditures, after which your cargo could be held as collateral to satisfy your obligation to the carrier.
• For those insured by Flexport, the process is simple: after you notify your claims team, Flexport will submit the necessary documentation on your behalf to trigger the release of your cargo. Flexport insurance products cover General Average events.
• Those without a cargo insurance policy that provides the appropriate General Average guarantee documentation will have to post cash collateral or obtain a Letter of Credit from the bank to back a guarantee.

What Happens Next?

Flexport will continue working with ZIM, the Port of Long Beach, and the impacted ITS terminal for up-to-date insight into customer shipments on board the vessel at the time of the incident. As soon as we receive more information, we will notify affected customers, advise on next steps, and update this live blog with the latest developments. Reach out to your Flexport account manager with any questions, or contact us here.