Cargo Insurance That Actually Pays Out When It Matters
All-risk cargo insurance for ocean and air freight, single-trip or annual, with claims settled in days, not months.
Most importers assume the carrier covers cargo damage. It does not. Carrier liability maxes out at $500 per shipping unit under the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, regardless of what is inside. A single container of electronics, textiles, or machinery can be worth $50,000 to $500,000. Coverage closes that gap and insures the full declared value of your goods from origin to final delivery.
What Sets Platton's Coverage Apart
All-Risk Marine Coverage From Origin to Door
Platton arranges marine cargo insurance across the full transit, from the supplier's warehouse through ocean or air transport to your US receiving dock. Institute Cargo Clauses (A) are the standard: theft, damage, natural disaster, general average, and total loss.
Single-Trip or Annual Open-Cover Policies
Ship once a quarter? Take a single-trip policy sized to that shipment's value. Ship weekly? An annual open-cover policy insures every shipment under one agreement, with no per-trip paperwork and no gaps in coverage.
Claims Filed in Minutes
Coverage only matters if you can collect. Platton's claims process starts with a digital submission, photos, shipping docs, and a damage report, and our team guides you through to resolution, typically within 5 to 10 business days.
Real Cargo Insurance Problems
"I've Been Shipping for Years Without Insurance"
Until the first loss. Many importers discover they need import cargo insurance only after a container is damaged, stolen, or declared general average, and by then the financial hit is real. We set up coverage before the next shipment moves, not after something goes wrong.
"Last Time I Filed a Claim, It Took 4 Months"
Slow claims usually come from missing documentation or unclear policy language. Platton prepares your claim package upfront, the bill of lading, commercial invoice, survey report, and photos, and submits it directly to underwriters. Most claims are acknowledged within 48 hours.
"The Carrier Said They'd Cover It. They Didn't"
Carrier liability under COGSA is capped at $500 per package, not per container. If your container holds 2,000 units of electronics, that $500 cap will not cover a fraction of your loss.
"My Supplier Insures It Under CIF"
Under CIF terms, the seller is required to buy just minimum cover: it can end at the US port, it leaves out the duty you pay, and any claim goes to an insurer overseas. Under FOB or EXW terms there is no seller cover at all, so whatever the terms, we arrange a policy for the full value of your goods.
"Insurance Eats Into My Margins"
All-risk coverage typically costs 0.3% to 0.8% of the declared value. On a $100,000 shipment, that is $300 to $800, a fraction of what you lose if a single pallet arrives damaged. We size every policy to your actual risk, commodity type, and trade lane, so you do not overpay for coverage you do not need.
"I Don't Understand What's Actually Covered"
Institute Cargo Clauses (A), (B), and (C) each cover different perils. We explain which clause applies to your shipment, what is excluded (war, inherent vice, delay), and what your deductible looks like, before you sign.
What Cargo Insurance Covers, and What It Excludes
Covered Perils
An all-risk policy covers physical loss or damage from external causes across the whole transit:
- Physical loss or damage during loading, transit, and unloading, including container drops, water damage, and crushing.
- Fire, explosion, lightning, earthquake, flood, and other natural perils.
- Theft, piracy, hijacking, and malicious damage.
- Shortage and non-delivery, when cartons go missing or a whole shipment never arrives.
- General average and salvage charges, where your policy pays your contribution share.
- Jettison, washing overboard, and vessel stranding or sinking.
Standard Exclusions
Every policy has limits. The standard exclusions are:
- Delay-related losses, even when the delay itself was caused by a covered peril.
- Inherent vice or the nature of the goods, such as perishable spoilage under normal conditions or rust on unprotected steel.
- Insufficient or unsuitable packing that does not meet industry standards.
- War, civil war, revolution, strikes, and riots, which are coverable through separate war and strikes endorsements, and nuclear contamination, which stays excluded.
- Willful misconduct of the insured, or known pre-existing damage at the time of shipment.
How Coverage Pays Off When a Loss Happens
A single general average event can cost an importer $10,000 to $50,000 per container in contribution charges, even when your cargo arrives undamaged. With all-risk coverage, the insurer pays your share. Without it, you pay out of pocket or lose the goods. For insured cargo, the insurer also gives the carrier the guarantee it requires after a general average declaration, so your goods are usually released without a cash deposit from you.
Platton clients who insure every shipment report fewer disputes with carriers and a documented loss history that strengthens future claims. Insurers carry claims data and legal resources that carriers do not, so a documented claim history consistently produces faster, higher settlements than fighting a carrier uninsured.
Get an instant cargo insurance quote. Tell us your commodity, shipment value, origin, and destination, and we show you the rate and coverage terms before anything ships.
Get a QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
Under COGSA, ocean carriers are liable for a maximum of $500 per package. Your policy covers the gap between what the carrier pays and what your goods are actually worth.
The standard all-risk policy (Institute Cargo Clauses A) covers physical loss or damage from any external cause during transit, including theft, fire, water damage, container drops, vessel sinking, and general average. Coverage runs warehouse-to-warehouse, from the moment goods leave the supplier to the moment they reach your US receiving location. Under those standard clauses, cover ends when the goods are unloaded at that location or 60 days after they come off the ship at the final port, whichever comes first. Marine cargo insurance covers air freight too, along with the truck legs to and from the port or airport. We also arrange war-risk and strikes endorsements where trade lanes require them.
Note the damage on the delivery receipt and photograph everything before moving the cargo. Keep the damaged goods and the packaging for the surveyor. If damage or missing cartons show up after unpacking, report them at once: for ocean cargo, the carrier should receive written notice within 3 days of delivery. Then gather the bill of lading, commercial invoice, packing list, photos of the damage, and a brief description of what happened. The claim is submitted to the underwriters with those documents, and follow-up continues until settlement. Most straightforward claims are acknowledged within 48 hours and settled within 5 to 15 business days, depending on complexity.
Yes. A single-trip policy covers one specific shipment from origin to destination. The rate is quoted on the commodity, declared value, and trade lane, and coverage is bound before the goods move, with no annual commitment. If you start shipping regularly, you can move to an open-cover policy that insures every shipment under one agreement.
Carrier liability is automatic but capped, at $500 per package by sea (COGSA) and about 26 SDR (roughly $35) per kg by air (Montreal Convention). The carrier only pays if proven at fault, and act-of-God defenses can eliminate liability entirely. Cargo insurance covers the full declared value regardless of fault, includes perils the carrier does not (general average, jettison, piracy), and gives you direct access to an insurer instead of a carrier's legal team.
All-risk rates for China-to-US ocean freight generally run 0.3% to 0.8% of the declared cargo value, depending on commodity type, packaging, and loss history. A $200,000 shipment of consumer electronics might cost $600 to $1,600 to insure. High-risk goods (fragile, temperature-sensitive, high-theft categories) can run higher. The declared value is commonly the invoice value of the goods plus freight, and often duty, with 10% added for extra costs. Exact rates are quoted after a review of your shipment details.
Related Platton Services
Ocean Freight
FCL and LCL cargo you can insure from the supplier's warehouse.
Air Freight
Time-critical shipments by air.
Customs Clearance
ISF, entry, and CBP release through licensed customs brokers.
Shipping from China to USA
Cargo from Chinese factories, by sea or air.
Buyers Consolidation
Combine cargo from several suppliers into one insured container.
Import guides
The Cost of Not Insuring Is Higher Than the Premium
One damaged container. One general average declaration. One theft at port. Any of these can wipe out months of margin. Coverage through Platton costs a fraction of what is at stake, and the claims process is built for importers who cannot afford to wait. Get a quote and have cover in place before the goods leave your supplier's warehouse.