Commercial Insurance News

Britannia, the insurer of container ship the Dali, is working with the vessel's owner and U.S. authorities on the investigation into the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, the insurer said on Thursday.The bridge collapsed on Tuesday after the Dali suffered a power outage and struck a pylon, causing huge disruption in the port."We are working closely with the vessel's owner and manager and the relevant U.S. authorities as part of the investigation into the casualty…

Allianz just released its 12th Risk Barometer, an annual corporate risk survey incorporating the views of 2,712 risk management experts in 94 countries and territories, including CEOs, risk managers, brokers and insurance experts. The overall global results reveal Cyber incidents and Business interruption as the biggest company concerns for the second year in succession. Macroeconomic developments such as inflation, financial market volatility and a looming recession rose to the third spot followed by the impact of the Energy crisis…

Costs for hiring ships to transport commodities from the Black Sea have risen by more than a fifth since the start of the year, reflecting higher war risk insurance rates, industry sources said.The Black Sea is crucial for the shipment of grain, oil and oil products. Its waters are shared by Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania and Turkey, as well as Russia and Ukraine. Since Jan. 1, when policies are renewed, reinsurers that provide financial protection for insurance companies have added exclusions for ships and planes for Belarus…

Hiscox is committed to a planned insurance consortium providing cover for ships travelling through a safe passage from Ukraine, its chief executive said on Wednesday, as the Lloyd's of London insurer shares plunged on a first-half loss.The first grain-carrying ship to leave Ukrainian ports in wartime, following a deal brokered by Ankara and the United Nations, safely anchored off Turkey's coast on Tuesday and is due to be inspected on Wednesday.Trade body the Lloyd's Market Association…

Insurers will only be willing to cover ships sailing through a proposed corridor to get Ukrainian grain out if there are arrangements for international navy escorts and a clear strategy to deal with sea mines, underwriters and brokers say.Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations are expected to sign a deal later this week aimed at resuming the shipping of grain from Ukraine across the Black Sea.Ukraine's ports have been closed since Russia's invasion in February, which Moscow calls a "special military operation"…

Reinsurers are set to foot most of the bill for the grounding of the ship that halted traffic in the Suez Canal, industry sources said, with payouts expected to run into hundreds of millions of dollars.International supply chains were thrown into disarray when the 400 meter Ever Given ran aground in the canal on March 23, with specialist rescue teams taking almost a week to free the vessel.Around 400 vessels were affected by the canal’s closure, which led to some having to divert around Africa to get supplies to global markets.Ships typically have protection & indemnity (P&I) insurance…

The subchapter M towboat rules, safety management systems, and an emerging culture shift on the inland waterways brings with it a fresh look at how to manage risk. Is it time for P&I clubs to return to brown water? And should inland operators welcome them home?A mass exodus from the inland marine sector by P&I clubs in the mid-1990’s was precipitated by many things. Today, these very same vessels have been put under the subchapter M regime, and most are adapting SMS as a culture in the process. Moreover, and without a doubt, the environmental record of this sector has improved 99% since the 1970’s. As all of that unfolds, the P&I clubs have begun to look at this sector more closely and…

If you’ve been working in the marine insurance industry lately, you will have heard about “blockchain” at some point; it is the electronic, distributed ledger, notoriously known for enabling the use of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ether. But the blockchain technology’s utility goes beyond cryptocurrencies, potentially offering creative ways to solve other real-world problems. Within blockchain ledgers, the use of ‘smart’ contracts essentially converts contractual obligations into lines of computer protocols, which facilitate, verify, or enforce its performance.

Seaspan, an association of Canadian companies primarily involved in coastal and deepsea transportation, bunkering, ship repair and shipbuilding services, named three senior leaders to its corporate executive team, the company announced today. The appointments include Paul Thomas as Vice President, Engineering – Vancouver Shipyards; Matt Boydston as Vice President, Finance – Seaspan Shipyards; and Billy Garton as General Counsel for Seaspan ULC. As Vice President, Engineering, Thomas is primarily responsible for engineering and design on new ship construction…

Moore Stephens has further strengthened its regulatory advisory capability with the appointment of John Westlake as compliance manager. John Westlake has a broad perspective of the insurance industry acquired through a variety of roles, which has enabled him to support insurers and brokers in establishing effective compliance solutions. He has a strong commercial background, having acted as operations director with a personal lines insurer, compliance director with a commercial insurance broker and most recently training and advising senior management in the management of risk at JLT Group. He also worked with the FSA advising insurance intermediaries on regulation.

Maritime Administrator William G. Schubert today announced that the Maritime Administration (MARAD) is now accepting applications for war risk insurance to cover commercial ship operations in the Middle East. President Bush authorized the Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide the insurance at the request of Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta. U.S.-flag vessels are eligible, as are ships owned by U.S. companies. Other vessels may be covered if their cargoes are considered to be in the security interests of the United States. The insurance covers cargoes as well as the ships and crews. It is underwritten by DOT in return for a premium from shipowners.

Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta has approved an extension of the authority to provide war risk insurance under Section 1202 of the 1936 Merchant Marine Act (Act). Unlike Section 1205 insurance, which is provided to the Department of Defense (DOD) on vessels chartered to them at no premium and with a full DOD indemnity, Section 1202 insurance is underwritten by DOT in return for a premium from shipowners. This insurance or reinsurance of vessels is available for vessels (including cargoes and crew) entering the Middle East region, whenever commercial insurance cannot be obtained on reasonable terms and conditions. It should…

The 13 P&I Clubs within the International Group continue to dominate the world market for shipowners' liability insurance despite increasing competition in recent years from fixed premium facilities. The development of the fixed premium market and, in particular, the rapid growth of the P&I account of the marine and energy syndicate 329 at Lloyd's led by Jonathan Jones, served to increase pressure on premium rating in recent years. However, syndicate 329 is now in run-off, its capital providers having withdrawn support, and its P&I account, which was transferred to British Marine, an old-established P&I and hull club for small ships and offshore craft…

The 13 P&I Clubs within the International Group continue to dominate the world market for shipowners' liability insurance despite increasing competition in recent years from fixed premium facilities. The development of the fixed premium market and, in particular, the rapid growth of the P&I account of the marine and energy syndicate 329 at Lloyd's led by Jonathan Jones, served to increase pressure on premium rating in recent years. However, syndicate 329 is now in run-off, its capital providers having withdrawn support, and its P&I account, which was transferred to British Marine, an old-established P&I and hull club for small ships and offshore craft…

The IMO stated that the diplomatic conference that met in London adopted a protocol to the Athens Convention Relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea, 1974. The Protocol would, if ratified by at least 10 States, impose a compulsory insurance requirement on passenger ship operators and raise liability limits to 250,000 Special Drawing Rights about $325,000. The amendments to the Convention are contained in a Protocol to the Athens Convention. IMO Secretary General William A. O'Neil said that the 2002 Protocol, when it comes into force, would provide a much-needed update to the 1974 Convention and he urged Governments to ratify the Protocol as soon as possible.