Check the small print

“Shippers and clients are much more critical over the quality of their goods in the current climate,” says Gielijn Arends of Amlin. “Since the recession there has been an increase in claim awareness. And of course, they also have had more time to claim because they are not so busy. Customers are looking at their contacts; they are reading the small print.”

Clearly, if a shipper bought their cargo at a high price and market prices have since fallen, there is an incentive for a more critical approach towards quality and possible liability of others in case of defects.

And Peregrine Storrs-Fox at the TT Club warns of another group taking a closer look at the small print. “Customs have been fining people since time began, all over the world, but we are seeing some development here,” he says. “Customs authorities are interpreting existing legislation in a more aggressive fashion. Whether this is to recover funds or for whatever motive, this can clearly impact on ports – cargo moving can be quite easily targeted. So our advice is: read the law, and make sure you stick to every detail.”