WNTI launches Clear Pathways to tackle delays and denials of essential radioactive material shipments

SINGAPORE, 28 October 2026 — Today, the World Nuclear Transport Institute (WNTI) launched Clear Pathways, an initiative to address the practical barriers that delay and deny shipments of radioactive materials essential to healthcare, energy, agriculture and industry.

The initiative was announced at the World Nuclear Transport Conference in Singapore by Captain Simon Chaplin, WNTI’s Head of Policy and Industry Engagement.

Around 20 million shipments of radioactive and nuclear material take place worldwide every year. These materials are used in a wide range of essential processes fuel to power nuclear reactors to medical isotopes used in hospital scans and cancer treatments. They are transported in highly regulated, tested and assured containers designed to be safe and secure through their journey.

Yet these shipments are too often delayed or refused — not because they are unsafe, but because of perceived risk, complex compliance requirements, differing national rules and limited familiarity with Class 7 materials. Many medical isotopes decay within days, so a consignment held at a border can arrive with little or no useful activity remaining. The consequences reach well beyond the supply chain: treatments are postponed, projects stall and services are disrupted.

Derek Ray-Hill, Chief Executive of WNTI, said:

“Members tell us the same thing wherever we go: the regulations work, the packages are safe, and yet shipments still get stopped. Clear Pathways is about turning that frustration into evidence, and evidence into change. Keeping these materials moving supports everything that depends on them — from a patient waiting for a scan to a country building out low-carbon power.”

Clear Pathways will operate across four workstreams: outreach and engagement, including a public information website; a missions programme focused on priority routes and ports where denials recur; engagement with National Focal Points and national authorities; and a route through which members and partners can report a delay or denial as it happens.

Simon Chaplin said:

“This is deliberately practical. When a shipment is delayed or denied, we want to hear about it, and where we can help we will engage with the carrier, the port or the authority involved. Just as importantly, every case we record builds the evidence base needed to tackle the underlying causes, so that the same barrier is less likely to stop the next shipment.”

The initiative builds on more than two decades of international work on denial of shipment, including the International Steering Committee on Denial of Shipment (2006–2013), the Transport Facilitation Working Group (2014) and the IAEA’s Denial of Shipment Working Group (2023–2026), which analysed root causes, reinvigorated the National Focal Point network and secured a Joint Statement by Member States.

An initial Clear Pathways website is live at www.clearpathways.com. The full guidance and reporting hub — including practical guides for the most common delay and denial scenarios, and a catalogue of where national requirements differ from IAEA regulations — will follow.

Organisations that experience a delayed or denied shipment are encouraged to report it to the team at [email protected].

About Clear Pathways
Clear Pathways is an initiative of the World Nuclear Transport Institute. It works to remove the practical barriers that delay and deny shipments of essential radioactive materials, and to build understanding of why these journeys matter. www.clearpathways.com

About WNTI
The World Nuclear Transport Institute (WNTI) is the global voice of the nuclear and radioactive materials transport industry. Bringing together leading companies and experts from across the sector, WNTI works to promote safe, secure and sustainable transport worldwide. Through collaboration and knowledge sharing, the Institute helps bridge the gap between policy and practice, supporting its members and the wider community in meeting the highest standards of performance and public confidence. www.wnti.co.uk

Emily Midgley, Clear Pathways Campaign Manager
[email protected]