Verisk: Cargo Theft Losses Rise Despite Drop in Reported Incidents

Even as the number of reported cargo thefts fell 25%, the average value of stolen commodities rose 72% through the first nine months of 2026, as thefts of high-value goods pushed up severity, a new report shows.

Verisk CargoNet reported 2,072 supply chain crime incidents through September, down from 2,755 during the same period in 2025. Estimated losses rose 39% to $718.9 million, while the average value of stolen commodities in incidents with documented values rose to $448,456 from $261,115.

Verisk CargoNet’s quarterly supply chain risk analysis shows 547 theft incidents across the U.S. and Canada in the third quarter, a 33% decline from the same period last year and a 19% drop from the previous quarter.

Ninteen thefts with documented values of $1 million or more occurred during the quarter, up from nine in the third quarter of last year. Many of those thefts involved high-value electronics and data center materials.

Related: Verisk: Cargo Theft Losses Hit $304M on Organized Crime Cyber Schemes

Fictitious pickups are on the rise. The schemes, in which criminals use deception to obtain shipments, increased from 18% to roughly 25% in the past quarter.

Food and beverage remained the most frequently stolen commodity category with 94 incidents, although that was down from 178 incidents in the third quarter of 2025. Nonalcoholic beverages accounted for 22 incidents, followed by meat products (21) and alcoholic beverages (12). Metals were the second most frequently stolen commodity category with 63 incidents. Copper theft accounted for 34 of those incidents.

Household goods thefts fell from 95 to 49 incidents, while electronics fell from 69 to 46. Computers and accessories accounted for 20 incidents, down from 24 a year earlier. Personal care and beauty thefts declined from 44 to 39 incidents.

California was the state that recorded the most cargo theft incidents during the third quarter at 182. That was down from 261 a year earlier. New Jersey followed (46) and Texas recorded (43) followed. Those three states accounted for 49.5% of all reported thefts during the quarter, according to CargoNet. Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties in California were among the areas with high concentrations of theft, along with Harris County, Texas, and Cook County, Illinois.

The top targeted location types were warehouses and distribution centers, followed by truck stops, the report shows.