Hull Insurance News

A new marine insurance facility for Ukrainian grain exports using the country's sea corridor has been set up in conjunction with Ukraine's authorities, insurance broker Miller said on Tuesday.Russia quit a U.N.-backed deal in July to enable exports from Ukraine to sail from three approved ports.Since then, Kyiv has launched what it calls a new temporary humanitarian corridor in an effort to break Russia's de facto blockade. Two ships have sailed in the recent days from the Ukrainian…

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…

SAYFR entered into an MoU with Japanese underwriter Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (MSI) aimed at reducing risks of major incidents through building safety culture maturity in the maritime and offshore energy sectors. SAYFR has worked with MSI on several joint initiatives in the last two years. MSI is one of the world’s largest insurers and holds the biggest market position in the Japanese marine hull insurance sector.Focus areas have been identified and will be covered under the MoU…

The Poseidon Principles for Marine Insurance initiative has been launched to provide transparency on carbon emissions and support the shipping industry’s green transition. Marine insurers that launched the initiative on Wednesday, said that the Poseidon Principles for Marine Insurance "are a framework to quantitatively assess and disclose the climate alignment of marine insurers’ underwriting portfolios. ""This pioneering initiative makes marine insurance the first line of business to establish a sector-specific methodology to support the ambition of the Net-Zero Insurance Alliance (NZIA)…

The record low 41 large shipping losses worldwide in 2019 represents a 20% improvement year-on-year and almost 70% over a decade, but the coronavirus crisis could endanger the long-term safety improvements in the shipping industry for 2020 and beyond, as difficult operating conditions and a sharp economic downturn present a unique set of challenges, according to recent report from marine insurer Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS).Consequences of coronavirus and a sustained…

Against the backdrop of encouraging global economic growth and an improved outlook for the shipping industry, the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) gives expert opinion on the current state of the hull, cargo and offshore energy insurance markets at its Spring Conference in Hamburg. The past three years has seen the frequency of total losses within the global fleet stabilise at 0.13% by number (0.05% by tonnage). This is largely attributable to an improved safety climate, improvements in naval architecture and marine engineering; and more effective regulation. Total losses involving vessels younger than 15 years were significantly less during the 2013-17 period than the years 2008-2012.

The cost of operating cargo ships rose marginally in 2017 following two consecutive years of falls, but ship owners should prepare for higher costs led by a spike in insurance premiums, according to the latest Ship Operating Costs Annual Review and Forecast 2017/18 report published by global shipping consultancy Drewry. After two years of marked decline, average vessel operating costs stabilized in 2017 as pressure on owners was lifted by a nascent recovery across most cargo shipping markets. Trends in ship operating costs are heavily linked to developments in the wider shipping market, external cost pressures notwithstanding. But the recovery has not been uniform across all sectors, and risks remain.

Cyprus-based American Hellenic Hull Insurance (AHHI) surpassed key targets during its first year of operation: 1,900 insured vessels, written premium income exceeded $10 million and covered 35 million GT on 100% basis, said a press statement. During its latest Board meeting in June 2017, American Hellenic Hull Insurance Company appointed two new Directors, Angelos Kostakos of Oceanstar Management Inc. and . Panagiotis Christodoulatos of Ikaros Shipping & Brokerage Kostakos is Legal, Insurance and Claims Director of Oceanstar Management Inc. and a member of the Board of Directors of the American P&I Club since 2008. Christodoulatos is Managing Director of Ikaros Shipping & Brokerage with 30 years of experience in Shipmanagement…

Global shipping is still feeling the effects of a cyber attack that hit A.P. Moller-Maersk two days ago, showing the scale of the damage a computer virus can unleash on the technology dependent and inter-connected industry. About 90 percent of world trade is transported by sea, with ships and ports acting as the arteries of the global economy. Ports increasingly rely on communications systems to keep operations running smoothly, and any IT glitches can create major disruptions for complex logistic supply chains. The cyber attack was among the biggest-ever disruptions to hit global shipping.

Ships exposed through GPS systems, have limited back-up; cyber insurance typically doesn't cover jamming, property damage. Shipping companies grappling with the threat of cyber attacks on vessels are finding insurance policies often fall short, officials involved in both industries say, a risk that could feed through into global prices. Digitalisation means electricity networks, emergency services, industry and agriculture are all vulnerable to hacking by criminal gangs for extortion or, for political reasons, by militant groups or foreign states. But ships are also exposed to interference through electronic navigation devices such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) and lack the backup systems airliners have to prevent crashes.

American Hellenic Hull Insurance Company (AHHIC) has already provided cover for 1,000 vessels managed from Europe, the Americas and Asia, said said Vincent Solarino, Chairman of the Board of Directors of AHHIC and President and COO of Shipowners Claims Bureau, managers of the American Club. The company’s remarkable initial success that exceeds targets for first six months, underlines its ability to become a global player in the marine hull market as well as industry recognition of AHHIC’s backers and managers, he said. At the American Club we are very proud of the company and I am happy to say that American Hellenic is performing even better than we expected, he added. AHHIC gained its license as a Solvency-II compliant insurer from regulators in Cyprus on June 24th 2016.

Is the Limitation of Liability Act Still Relevant? In the aftermath of the El Faro disaster, that vessel’s owners exercised their right to file a petition to limit their liability in accordance with the U.S. Shipowner’s Limitation of Liability Act, 46 USC §30501, et seq. This evoked negative press and social media reaction with a now-familiar refrain: Why should a shipowner escape full liability for a disaster by hiding behind a 19th-century (i.e., outdated, antique, ancient) statute?

The American Club reported solid progress during 2015 at the annual meeting of its members held in New York yesterday. Despite a challenging economic climate, the Club’s business developed respectably, and 2016 had started on a positive note. The Club’s tonnage and revenue experienced some attenuation in 2015 as global trade slowed and freight markets continued to struggle. Following the 2016 renewal, year-on-year tonnage entered for P&I and FD&D risks was stable at about 14 million GT for the former and 9 million GT for the latter class of business…

The verdict at the 5th India Marine Salvage and Wreck Removal Conference of Hinode held this time in Mumbai last week was clear and unanimous. The presentations as well as the deliberations highlighted an upbeat atmosphere indicating the growing prospects for salvors on the India’s 7516 KM of coastline and in the surrounding area. The scenario depicts numerous options according to the presentations which brought out issues and insights that made prospects look bright in the coming months and with the monsoon round the corner, players could finally make it big. The introductory session underlined the fact that India became a signatory to International Convention of Wreck Removal Convention in 2010 and the convention has been in force from 14th April 2014.

Being in a position to accurately anticipate change in the shipping markets is becoming ever more crucial for maritime service providers, as owning principals demand more solutions to the problems created by over-ordering, according to Braemar Group Asia President Denis Petropoulos. Speaking at a press conference during Singapore Maritime Week, Mr Petropoulos said this need for in-depth industry knowledge and experience in understanding how to deal with market downturns means that shipping service clusters like Singapore would find themselves in a strong position when the times start to improve. “Owners and charterers rely on these services…

TT Club, established to fill a gap in insurance as the freight container revolutionized trade, celebrates 45 years dedicated service to the transport and logistics sector. In 1956, the first strengthened containers were loaded onto a spar deck of the converted tanker, Ideal X. This marked the fulfilment of a dream for American trucker Malcom McLean who had, since 1937, been working on how to reduce the long waiting hours for dockers to stow or unload his vehicles onto or off ships. The container age was quietly born.

Chairman of the Board of Directors, Fidelis Group Holdings LLC and Continental Underwriters, Ltd. For those in the marine insurance and underwriting communities, H. Elder Brown, Jr. needs no introduction. That’s because over the course of the past 27 years, Brown has taken Continental Underwriters Ltd. (CUL) from a small family business to one of the largest brown water marine underwriters in the United States. More recently, Brown returned CUL to private ownership by purchasing CUL back from Houston Casualty Company in 2009.

XL Group plc’s (NYSE: XL) North American Marine business expands its blue water hull risk management capabilities in New York with the addition of Siobhan Coen and Jeff Loechner as senior underwriters and Eileen Fellin as a senior claims consultant. According to Rich DeSimone, President of XL Group’s North America Marine business, “Siobhan, Jeff and Eileen collectively add nearly six decades of hull underwriting, particularly in blue water hull coverages, and claims experience. Ms. Coen joins XL as a Senior Underwriter. She brings more than 19 years underwriting experience with her from the American Hull Insurance Syndicate. She is a graduate of Manhattan College with a B.S. in Business Administration. Ms.

Whether it is a consent form at a hospital, a liability waiver for a team sport or a permission slip for a school field trip, many people sign risk transfer forms with only a cursory thought to what they are agreeing to. If they want to participate, they may feel they have little choice other than to go along with whatever is written on the form. But in the business world, risk transfer forms should not be signed without giving attention to the details and considering the potential outcomes. The fine print of the documents you sign or require your contractors to sign is just as vital to your risk control strategy as having good fire suppression equipment or an effective building security system.

HARTFORD, Conn., August 11, 2011 – The Travelers Companies, Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Raymond T. Martino as the President of its Ocean Marine business unit. Martino is responsible for the overall leadership and management of Travelers Ocean Marine, which provides highly specialized property and liability insurance products for maritime-oriented risks including commercial hulls, cargo, luxury yachts, port authorities, shipbuilders and numerous other specialized exposures.

LIG Marine Managers’ sister company, LIG Educational & Consulting Services, in conjunction with the International Institute for Marine Insurance Studies, announced the 2011 CMIP Seminar Schedule for those individuals working towards earning the Certified Marine Insurance Professional (CMIP) Designation. The designation is designed for agents, brokers, CSRs, Insurance Company Personnel, Underwriters or other insurance industry professionals who wish to expand their knowledge of Commercial Marine Insurance. The CMIP Designation requires attendance at four 2½-day Seminars and passing a short exam at the end of each Seminar. The first of the 2011 CMIP Seminars, “Fundamentals of Marine Insurance” will be held in Tampa, Fla. April 13-15, 2011.

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?

At the recent ABS Council meeting, 31 prominent members of the shipping and offshore industries were elected as new members of the prominent international classification society. The ABS Council also elected seven new members to the society’s Technical Committee. “Our strength as a classification society is the breadth of experience and depth of wisdom of our membership,” said ABS Chairman & CEO Robert D. Somerville. Zamil A. Thomas J. Angiolino, Senior Vice President, Willis of New York, Inc. Commodore R. Balasubrmaniam, IN (Retd.), Director, Rajapur Shipyard Pvt. Ltd. Dong-Su Choi, President & CEO, SLS Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. Robert G. George A. Cupstid, Senior Vice President and General Manager, LeTourneau Technologies, Inc. Tim E. Steven Durrell, President, Irving Shipbuilding Inc.