Total Cargo Theft Surges 13%, Metals Theft Surges 96%, In Q2 2025
Saturday, Jul 19, 2025 - 07:45 AM
Cargo theft is rising sharply across North America, with criminals increasingly targeting high-value commodities and employing complex fraud tactics, according to new data from CargoNet, a product of Verisk Analytics.
In the second quarter of 2025, CargoNet recorded 884 supply chain theft incidents across the United States and Canada—a 13% increase over the same period in 2024 and a 10% rise from the first quarter of this year. The estimated total loss exceeded $128 million, based on average loss values applied to incidents without specific reports.
The data also shows a month-over-month acceleration in theft activity during the quarter: incidents rose 14.6% in April, 4.4% in May, and a staggering 21.9% in June, highlighting growing urgency around supply chain security.
Certain commodities saw significant spikes in theft, indicating a shift from opportunistic theft to more calculated, market-driven operations. Metals theft nearly doubled, surging 96% year-over-year to 53 incidents, a rise that coincides with copper trading near record highs.
Food and beverage products were another major target, with 180 reported thefts, marking a 68% increase from Q2 2024. This category now accounts for over 20% of all cargo thefts, with alcoholic beverages, energy drinks, and meat products among the most commonly stolen items.