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Marine Cargo Insurance

  • Bespoke policies available on request for this specialist line of business
  • Cater for businesses for one-off or annual policies
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Marine Cargo Insurance

Our policies can cater both for individuals sending household contents and/or vehicles abroad as well as businesses who wish to arrange either a one-off policy or an annual cargo policy to send items worldwide.

We have excellent relationships with a number of insurers and can cater for standard as well as unusual cargo, as well as high-value items and equipment. That includes transit and container insurance.

Our marine policy options:

  • Single consignments for household goods and vehicles for private individuals and families.
  • Single consignments for commercial goods for businesses and individuals.
  • Annual policies with multiple cover options.
  • Distribution, shop in shop concession sites, customer premises/exhibitions, returns.

Click here to view an illustration of how the typical cargo policy works.

Looking For Marine Cargo Insurance Quotes?

As marine cargo insurance specialists, we do the hard work for you to find the most competitive quotes from our leading panel of insurers. We know which insurers to turn to when placing specific risks and can access deals you may not be offered if you were to approach the same insurer yourself.

All it takes is a few minutes of your time. Just click the ‘Get Your Quote Now’ button on this page and give us a few details about the type your policy you’re looking for and your contact information – then we’ll do the rest.

Alternatively, if you’d like to discuss your requirements with our team then please give us a call on 01708 971000.

What is Marine Cargo Insurance?

Any number of things could happen to your goods while they’re being transported by air, land or sea. They could be stolen en-route or damaged during handling, both of which could lead to a significant financial loss if they’re not insured.

Marine cargo insurance is a product that goes beyond the protection provided by goods-in-transit insurance. It covers you against the loss or damage of goods that are being transported internationally by road, rail, air or sea. It can also cover goods that are being stored and transported in the UK.

With technical terms like ‘transhipment’, ‘groupage’ and ‘barratry’ in the shipping industry, you might think marine cargo insurance is more trouble than it’s worth. However, marine cargo insurance is actually a simple product that provides valuable protection for companies and private individual who import, export or manufacture goods that are transported by your own or third-party carriers.

While there are many similarities between marine cargo insurance and goods-in-transit policies, there are also important differences that make marine insurance cargo essential in certain circumstances. Goods-in-transit can cover physical loss or damage to goods or property being transported domestically, but while domestic transit can form all or part of a marine cargo policy, it also covers your goods for transportation internationally.

Single and Annual Marine Cargo Policies

At Clegg Gifford, our marine cargo insurance specialists can advise you on every aspect of the cover you need, whether it’s on a single or annual basis for household belongings or products you’re exporting overseas.

  • Single consignments – Marine cargo insurance is commonly used to cover single consignments by private individuals who want to protect their household goods and vehicles when emigrating overseas. Equally, we also commonly arrange cover for businesses that want to import or export raw materials or goods but don’t do so on a regular basis.
  • Annual policies – Annual marine cargo insurance is a single policy that we can tailor for UK businesses that transport goods around the world on a regular basis. It can cover transportation from door-to-door, from warehouse-to-warehouse and from raw material to finished product. That allows traders to operate with confidence, safe in the knowledge that every journey is properly protected.

Common Features of Marine Cargo Insurance

Although we can tailor marine cargo insurance policies to meet the demand of every business and private individual, there are a number of common features marine cargo policies tend to include.

Cover can be provided from the first movement of goods in the warehouse for the commencement of transit. The cover continues throughout the ordinary course of transit and ceases when it is unloaded at the recipient’s warehouse or any warehouse used for storage or distribution.

There are also a number of exclusions that typically apply to marine cargo insurance policies. That may include:

  • The wilful misconduct of the assured
  • Ordinary leakage, loss in weight or wear and tear
  • Malicious damage
  • Where insufficient or unsuitable packaging has been used
  • Geographical exclusions where there’s a higher than normal risk of war or terrorism or where trade sanctions may be in place
  • Goods exclusions including items banned for international trade and high-risk items

We take the time to explain the specific exclusions that apply to your marine cargo insurance policy so you know exactly what you’re covered for.

What Factors Impact the Cost of your Marine Insurance Policy?

There are a number of factors that play a significant part in determining the cost of your marine cargo insurance policy. The rating factors generally include:

  • What the cargo is
  • How it is being packed
  • Where it is travelling to/from
  • How it is being transported
  • Who are the carriers
  • How much insurance is required (all risks or limited named perils)
  • The policy excess

Is Marine Cargo Insurance a Legal Requirement?

All carriers must legally carry a minimum level of insurance cover known as carrier liability. However, that provides a very limited amount of protection. If anything were to go wrong that resulted in the loss or damage of your cargo while in transit, any compensation available is likely to fall well short of the true valuation of the goods.

Pursuing overseas hauliers for damages is a notoriously difficult and time-consuming process. That’s why so many private individuals and businesses put their own marine cargo insurance policy in place to protect them against the risks they face when their property is stored or in transit.

What Are The Typical Benefits of Marine Cargo Insurance?

There are a number of compelling benefits associated with a marine cargo insurance policy which our specialist brokers can help you realise. They include:

  • All risks cover for the physical loss or damage of goods in transit by rail, road, land or sea. All risks cover includes breakage, theft, malicious damage, non-delivery, water damage, scratching, chipping and denting.
  • Cover can be provided on a full warehouse-to-warehouse basis to provide peace of mind every step of the way. That also includes cover for the risks faced when loading and unloading your goods.
  • Marine cargo insurance can be extended to include everything from UK domestic transits, inter-company transits, returned goods, exhibitions and warehousing.
  • Policies can be tailored to meet the terms of sale or purchase (Incoterms).
  • Contingent liability available to protect the interests of buyers and sellers.
  • Concealed damage cover for damage to goods that is only discovered once they are unpacked at the final destination.
  • Annual policies can cover an unlimited number of transits per year.

Who Needs Marine Cargo Insurance?

Marine cargo insurance can provide cover for a wide range of goods, from single components and raw materials through to finished products and appliances. As such, it is an important policy for UK manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and distributors that import, export or distribute goods internationally.

As well as businesses, marine cargo insurance can also meet the needs of private individuals moving their household goods and personal effects overseas, or those who may be importing or exporting a motor vehicle from or to the UK.

Why Clegg Gifford?

At Clegg Gifford, we have many years of experience securing best-fit marine insurance cargo policies that meet the specific needs of our clients. That includes cover for cargo being stored and transported nationally and internationally for businesses and private individuals. Over the years, we have built up excellent relationships with some of the UK’s leading insurers and know exactly where to turn to secure the most cost-effective policy for every client.

Discover more of our services at Clegg Gifford, including motor trade insurance, taxi insurance, public liability insurance and more. Request a quote or get in touch to discuss your requirements with our team.

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Welcome to CG TV

Welcome to CG TV

A collection of videos which outline Clegg Gifford’s products and other useful information.

  • Discover more about the products and services we can offer, for both personal and commercial insurances.
  • Check out our trade specific ‘overviews’ which can help determine the right coverage options for your business.
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What makes us special?

  • 50+ Years of experience

    Clegg Gifford were formed in 1968 which means we celebrated our 50th anniversary in 2018. In our circa 50-year history, there is not much we haven’t seen! Our storied history in the Motor Trade, Taxi and Commercial Vehicle industry ensures you won’t find many better placed Brokers to deal with your unique requirements!

  • Scale of operations

    With a network of branches, Appointed Representatives and over 800 brokers we can find cover for clients in any area of the UK. We pride ourselves in being able to find bespoke solutions for unique requirements. From architects and bankers to yacht captains and zoologists, we have covered them all.

  • Nationally recognised Claims team

    As we all know far too well, claims, and claim management is a necessary part of Insurance. Consequently, a good claims teams are worth their weight in gold! We are very proud of our distinguished team that have been nominated for ‘Claims Team of the Year’ two years in a row! Here is to hoping you won’t need to contact them!

  • Huge breadth of insurers

    Due to our heritage within the market, we have great relationships with a multitude of insurers across both personal and commercial lines. As always, our emphasis is on delivering you with flexible coverage options that help support your personal and commercial requirements. As a Lloyds broker we also have access to a range of London Market insurers.

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