“'Think positively! And if it turns out 'bad', we'll see what we can do...”, ‘You don't need a manual, we've got it all in our heads!’, ‘They'll sort it out next time they're on duty...’, ”That's not my problem! “ among others, are expressions that are increasingly present in the day-to-day life of that seller/buyer who omitted to mention that the product was DG in order to send it as a sample with no commercial value; that freight forwarder who failed to pay attention to the need for temperature control, that comex team that got the NCM wrong in a shipment, generating a fine, that port operator who damaged a cargo during handling or even.
As in other sectors, in foreign trade we see examples of misconduct, malpractice or even naivety, which make the operation unfeasible or, much worse, expose cargo and people to risks.
In the logistics chain (as defined in legislation, Incoterms/2021 and contractual agreements), it is important to know that “one's responsibility commences when the other's is due to end...” but where exactly is that “start”?!
It is well known that there are different insurances for different operations, or for different points in the logistics chain. Each player has their own insurance policy to protect their interests towards themselves and third parties. But above all, we need to bear in mind that the insurer in turn also tends to protect its interests, as well as those of its client. In this post we've tried to cover a little of the different insurances in the logistics chain and the importance of International Merchandise Insurance, the main one.