Sea transport remains an adventure, even though Marfret is constantly investing in its fleet. For the past three years, the company, in conjunction with the insurer Seasecure, has been offering cargo insurance covering loss or damage to carried goods.
For exporters or importers of fruit grown in South America, the Seasecure policy avoids any nasty surprises on delivery. The tailored insurance covers the door-to-door transport of the fruit at competitive rates (0.35% of value for pineapples, 0.60% for mangos, kiwis, avocados, grapes and bananas).
“The cost of insurance is minimal compared to the value of the fruit insured. For a 40′ HC container of avocados, with an approximate value of $60,000, insurance cover costs a mere $200,” explains Celine Douvenou, head of the MedCar line reefer department at Marfret.
This FPA (free of particular average) policy covers loss and damage resulting from major events, namely a delay in excess of 72 hours due to damage to the ship (up to a maximum of €150,000 per year). For perishable goods, the policy also covers damage resulting from variations in temperature.
“If the marine surveyor confirms the damage to the goods, compensation can reach 100%. In the event of a technical problem or bad weather, cargo owners are not covered by their P&I policies. Very often, our customers are fruit wholesalers or large retail chains and incidents occurring during transport can disrupt the logistics chain, with a potential loss of sales,” points out Douvenou.