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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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.