Insurers May Be on Hook for Millions Tied to Suez Canal Crisis
There were potentially thousands of insurance policies taken out on the steel boxes stacked high on the massive boat blocking the Suez Canal and upending world trade. They could result in millions of dollars in payouts -- but first, a game of passing the buck.
Taiwans Evergreen Line, which chartered the Ever Given, says Japans Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd -- the ships owner -- is responsible for any losses. The shipowner has taken some responsibility but says charterers need to deal with the cargo owners. The Suez Canals own policies suggest its not to blame, even if its pilots were at the helm of a ship that ran aground.
Regardless, the blockage is set to unleash a flood of claims by everyone affected, from those in the shipping industry to those in the commodities business. Owners of the goods on board the Ever Given and other ships stalled because the fastest waterway connecting Europe to Asia is closed will seek payment from their insurers, if they have one. And the insurers for cargo on board will in turn file claims against Ever Givens owners, who will turn to their insurers for protection.
As Chris Grieveson, partner at shipping law firm Wikborg Rein LLP in London, put it: Its an Armageddon type scenario.
Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-27/insurers-may-be-on-hook-for-millions-tied-to-suez-canal-crisis