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Carrier liability is far lower than most importers assume. We arrange proper all-risk cover on your commercial value — and prepare every document your entry depends on.
If a container is lost or damaged at sea, the carrier’s default liability is limited by international convention to roughly $500 per package or a weight-based figure — not the value of your goods. On a container of consumer products worth tens of thousands of dollars, that is close to no protection at all.
All-risk marine cargo insurance covers the declared commercial value of your shipment against physical loss and damage in transit, including general average — the maritime rule that can require you to contribute to a carrier’s losses even when your own cargo is untouched. Cover is inexpensive relative to the exposure and we recommend it on every shipment.
Documentation runs alongside it. Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and certificate of origin all have to be consistent with one another and with your customs entry. Where they disagree, CBP notices — and that becomes a hold. We prepare and cross-check the full set before your cargo sails.
MARINE COVER AVAILABLE
Insurance on the declared commercial value of your cargo against physical loss and damage throughout the transit.
Cover for the maritime rule that can make you liable for a share of a carrier's losses even when your own container is undamaged.
Prepared and cross-checked against your entry so declared value and description match exactly across every document.
Carton counts, weights and dimensions verified against what was actually loaded and sealed at the factory.
Issued and checked for consignee details, container and seal numbers, and release method before the vessel sails.
Origin documentation obtained where required for duty treatment or trade-programme eligibility.
You confirm the commercial value of the cargo and we quote cover against it.
Insurance is in place before the container is loaded, not after it has left.
Invoice, packing list, bill of lading and origin certificate reconciled against the entry.
If something goes wrong, we assemble the evidence and manage the claim with you.
It is not legally required, but carrier liability is limited by international convention to roughly $500 per package or a weight-based calculation — nowhere near the commercial value of a typical container. For the cost involved, we recommend all-risk cover on every shipment and will always quote it as an option.
Physical loss or damage to your goods during transit — including damage at sea, in handling, during drayage and inland delivery. It also covers general average contributions. Standard exclusions are inherent vice, insufficient packing by the supplier, ordinary wear, and delay or consequential loss such as missed sales.
General average is a maritime principle where all cargo owners on a vessel share the cost of losses incurred to save the voyage — for example if containers are jettisoned or a salvage operation is needed. Without insurance you can be asked to contribute a share, and your cargo can be held until you do, even if your own container was never touched.
We prepare or verify the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading and certificate of origin where applicable, and cross-check all of them against your customs entry. Inconsistencies between these documents are one of the most common causes of CBP holds, so we reconcile the set before the container sails.
ISF filing, HTS classification, entry submission, duty and tariff calculation, and CBP correspondence — filed correctly the first time.
The full chain in one booking: factory pickup in China, export clearance, ocean transit, US customs, drayage and delivery to your address.
Reliable full-container service from Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Qingdao and every major Chinese port to any US port — in 20ft and 40ft equipment.
Send your cargo details and destination ZIP code. A complete landed-cost quote comes back within 24 business hours — free and with no obligation.
