Indemnity Insurance News

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…

The European Union and the United States are now targeting maritime protection and indemnity (P&I) insurance clubs to limit Russian shipping capacity and cap the price of its oil, meaning we’re finally beginning to see some smart sanctions for a stupid war.P&I clubs are maritime insurance groups that specialize in open-ended, large-risk claims. P&I insurance is a requirement for all heavy cargo and container vessels. Under the new sanctions, European P&I clubs can no longer offer insurance to a vessel carrying Russian oil at a price higher than $60 a barrel.Since February 2022…

A Japanese bulk carrier struck a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius on July 25, spilling about 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil and triggering a state of "environmental emergency".Scientists say the spill is the country's worst ecological disaster, killing wildlife and damaging pristine waters that attract tourists from around the globe. The full impact is still unfolding. As residents scramble to mop up the oil slicks, they are seeing dead eels and fish floating…

International accountant and shipping adviser BDO said total operating costs in the shipping industry are expected to rise by 2.5% in 2019 and by 2.7% in 2020.Responses to the firm’s latest annual Future Operating Costs Survey revealed that insurance is the cost category likely to increase most significantly in both 2019 and 2020. In the case of protection and indemnity insurance, the predicted increase is 2.0% for each of the years under review, while hull and machinery insurance…

International accountant and shipping consultant Moore Stephens says total vessel operating costs in the shipping industry are expected to rise by 2.7% in 2018 and by 3.1% in 2019, according to our latest survey.Responses to the firm’s latest annual Future Operating Costs Survey revealed that drydocking is the cost category likely to increase most significantly in both 2018 and 2019, accompanied in the latter case by repairs and maintenance. The cost of drydocking is expected to increase by 2.1% in 2018 and by 2.3% in 2019…

The Shipowners’ Club, the leading mutual P&I insurer in the smaller and specialist sector, is delighted to announce a new technology partnership with Jumar Holdings Limited. The Club has taken a 33% equity stake in Jumar, which sits alongside the 67% stake held by Jumar founder and CEO, Wendy Merricks. The Club will take two seats on the Board of Jumar. Jumar has been the key technology partner of Shipowners’ for more than five years and has helped drive the delivery of Shipowners’ new policy management platform, supporting close to 33,000 of our Members’ vessels. Looking to the future it is envisaged that the partnership between the…

The UK P&I Club has made a significant donation to the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) to support its work developing resources, training and building preparedness for maritime mass rescue operations. The IMRF is the international non-governmental organization which works to develop and improve maritime search and rescue (SAR) capability around the world, preventing loss of life in the world's waters. Mass rescue operations, are defined by the International Maritime Organization…

Following a request by The Shipowners’ Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association (Luxembourg), as from 19 May 2017 AM Best will  no longer provide a rating of the Club. This decision was taken by the Club in December 2016 following a review of the costs and benefits of maintaining two interactive ratings, coupled with a review of market practice and appetite for rating information. The Shipowners Board concluded that Members’ interests would be best served by having only one rating in future. This rating will be provided by Standard & Poor’s, who currently rate Shipowners at ‘A’ (Stable outlook). The Club’s rating underlines the financial strength of the Club.

The Shipowners’ Club, the leading mutual P&I insurer in the smaller and specialist vessel sector, has reported resilient results for the year ending 31 December 2016. The Club has reported a combined ratio of 98.6%, an increase in gross tonnage of 0.8m to 25.4m and an overall surplus of US$ 14.7m, including a return on the investment portfolio of US$ 11.8m. Chairman Philip Orme announcing the results highlighted that “the Club has again delivered an underwriting surplus despite slightly reduced income. "We saw increased vessel numbers and overall tonnage grow slightly, mainly a consequence of owners taking delivery of larger offshore vessels such as heavy lift, accommodation and specialist pipe lay and construction vessels.

The UK P&I Club, a provider of protection and indemnity insurance,  agreed at its board meeting Monday that the General Increase for the 2016 renewal will be 2.5 percent. In announcing the increase, the UK Club board said it is mindful of the continuing stress in certain sectors of the shipping market and has therefore set the General Increase for 2016 below the level of claims inflation, adding the General Increase reflects the club’s commitment to maintain balanced underwriting and put the club in the best position to meet the challenges of the future. Separately, in recognizing the challenges faced by its members and the club’s capital position, the board has declared a Mutual Premium Discount of 2.5 percent on the total mutual call for the 2014 policy year.

ITIC has warned that the so-called ‘hold harmless’ clauses in many of the contracts entered into by its members may contain pitfalls which could prejudice their rights. A mutual hold-harmless indemnity clause should provide that each party to the contract agrees to take responsibility for - and to indemnify the other against - injury and loss to its own personnel and property and its own consequential losses, even if the accident and related losses are caused by negligence. But ITIC notes that…

Legal and contractual issues, piracy and crime, and international sanctions are the most important areas of concern to merchant shipowners, according to a recent survey by the UK P&I Club. Close behind are crewing and personnel, insurance regulation, loss prevention, environmental legislation, shipboard risk management, cargo preparation and stowage, and port state control. Consequently, owners want information and advice from their P&I clubs on how to tackle the problems associated with these areas. Their priorities have been revealed by the UK P&I Club’s latest member survey. As one of the world’s largest marine mutuals, the UK P&I Club’s 122 million gross tons of international merchant shipping provides a representative cross section of the industry.

International Medical Group® (IMG) a leader in designing, distributing and administering global medical insurance benefits, has announced its enhanced flagship marine group medical insurance program. According to IMG, the enhancements enable ship owners to provide their crew comprehensive coverage for eligible medical expenses, which is increasingly important with the enactment of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC, 2006). The MLC, 2006, which took effect August 20, 2013 and became binding in international law, establishes minimum working and living standards for all seafarers on those ships. As such the MLC, 2006, requires ship owners to provide health protection and medical care to seafarers on board their ship.

ITIC says P&I correspondents are coming under increasing pressure from clubs and from third parties to ensure that they have taken out professional indemnity insurance. In the latest issue of its newsletter, The Wire, ITIC says it is aware that at least one International Group P&I club is considering asking all its correspondents to obtain professional indemnity cover, and anticipates that a number of other clubs will follow suit. ITIC has recently commented on a proposed P&I club contract for its correspondents…

The UK P&I Club (the UK Club), one of the oldest shipping protection and indemnity insurance mutuals, has announced that ratings agency Standard and Poor’s has extended its ‘A – ‘ rating to The United Kingdom Mutual Steamship Assurance Association (Europe) Ltd. (the Europe Club). This news follows the November announcement that Standard and Poor’s upgraded the outlook for The United Kingdom Mutual Steamship Assurance Association (Bermuda) Ltd. (the Bermuda Club) to “Positive.”  This upgraded ‘Positive’ outlook also extends to the Europe Club. As part of an internal reorganisation ahead of the introduction of Solvency II regulations, the Europe Club will become the group’s main provider of direct insurance from February 2013.

It also noted the Club’s improved operating performance as evidenced by the combined ratio, strength of management strategy, and the improvement in its competitive position. Dino Caroussis, Chairman of the UK P&I Club, said: “This is a welcome endorsement by S&P of the UK Club’s efforts to maintain balanced underwriting and a strong capital position in an environment of rising claims costs and volatile investments. Hugo Wynn-Williams, chief executive of Club managers Thomas Miller P&I Ltd…

The European Commission has opened formal proceedings to investigate whether certain provisions accompanying claim-sharing and joint-reinsurance agreements in the marine insurance sector might infringe European Union antitrust rules. The Commission fears that the provisions at stake in the agreements between the Protection & Indemnity Clubs (P&I Clubs) within the International Group of P&I Clubs (IG) may harm ship owners and the insurers that are not members of the IG. P&I Clubs are mutual non-profit making associations that provide Protection & Indemnity insurance - a type of direct marine insurance - to their members, the ship owners. The International Group of P&I Clubs (IG) is a worldwide association of thirteen P&I Clubs.

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ITIC says professional indemnity cover essential in litigious shipping industry. International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) has warned that, in today’s increasingly litigious business environment, there is a growing need for shipping professionals to have third-party indemnity insurance cover. This can be the case even in those sectors where insurance has not previously been deemed necessary, and in cases where, despite a favourable outcome to legal proceedings, substantial costs may be unrecoverable.

Accidents happen. That comes as no surprise to those in the insurance industry, but what may be a surprise is the fact that the majority of maritime accidents occur in good weather with perfect visibility. In the following Q&A, Joseph McNulty, founding member of Carroll McNulty & Kull, joins Richard Furman and John Orzel, members of the same law firm, in a discussion on the key elements of marine insurance and what underwriters and claims professionals need to know about federal laws governing the maritime industry. Q. Let's start at the beginning. What is marine insurance?

The International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) has urged its shipmanager members to seek legal advice before entering into any contracts with owners relating to the laying-up of vessels. ITIC said there has been a recent sharp increase in the number of lay-up contracts which it has been asked to review. Some of these agreements are based on amended shipmanagement contracts, where the manager acts as agent for and on behalf of the owner. Other agreements involve the manager offering lay-up services to the owner as a principal rather than as agent. ITIC points out, “Where the manager offers these services as an agent of the owner, it will arrange for the appropriate anchorage to be sourced and also arrange for the maintenance and repair of the vessel.

Operators of vessels off the East coast of Africa are being warned by a leading insurance expert to prepare for an increase in pirate attacks after the southwestern monsoon ends in coming weeks. “There is a temporary lull in pirate activity at the moment off the East coast of Africa…but we expect this to be just that - a temporary lull,” said William Tobin, of the not-for-profit mutual organization Shipowners’ Protection Ltd., and a leading speaker at an upcoming regional maritime conference in Abu Dhabi. “When weather conditions improve we expect an increase in activity over and above what we have witnessed in the recent past,” he added. “The lack of any law and order, particularly in Somalia, continues to deteriorate.”  The southwestern summer monsoons occur from June through September.

At its annual board meeting on 29 October 2012, the board of the UK P&I Club (the Club), one of the oldest shipping protection and indemnity insurance mutuals, agreed that the general increase for 2013 renewal will be 7.5 percent. The premium rating increase is in addition to any increase in the cost of the International Group reinsurance premium for 2013 for the mutual members, which will be determined in the New Year. Recognizing the challenges faced by its members and the Club’s strong capital position, the Board has separately declared a Mutual Premium Discount of 2.5 per cent on the total mutual call for the 2011 policy year. The discount will amount to a 10 per cent deduction for all mutual members for the final instalment of the 2011 call due in December this year.