Total Cargo Theft Surges 13%, Metals Theft Surges 96%, In Q2 2025

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.

“The strategic targeting of specific commodities reveals the business-like approach of modern cargo theft operations,” said Keith Lewis, vice president of operations at Verisk CargoNet. “These aren’t opportunistic crimes – they’re calculated operations targeting goods with the highest illicit-market value and easiest resale potential.”

The average stolen shipment value in Q2 reached $203,586, with downstream effects including increased insurance premiums, delivery disruptions, order replacements, and ultimately higher consumer prices.

In addition to physical theft, CargoNet warns of a rising trend in sophisticated fraud-based cargo theft, involving document forgery and identity theft. These schemes are often executed by international organized crime groups and are becoming increasingly difficult to detect.

“Traditional physical security measures alone are no longer sufficient,” Lewis cautioned. “The industry must adopt a multi-layered approach combining physical security, digital verification, and real-time intelligence sharing to combat these evolving threats.”