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IUMI discusses gaps in freight forwarding liability insurance data
IUMI said marine cargo premium for 2024 was $22.6 billion, while equivalent freight forwarding liability premium and loss data is not available.
The International Union of Marine Insurance, or IUMI, used its annual conference in Rotterdam to debate whether freight forwarding liability insurance needs more systematic attention from the marine insurance community, given the growing role freight forwarders play in global supply chains. IUMI Executive Committee member Matthias Kirchner, who chaired a workshop on the issue, said the subline has far less structured focus than marine cargo insurance and lacks globally consistent wording. He pointed to differences in legal and regulatory frameworks across countries, with insurers generally relying on their own individual policy terms.
IUMI highlighted that, unlike marine cargo, aggregated freight forwarding liability figures are not tracked reliably, citing its own presentation materials. According to the organization’s February 2026 webinar materials, global marine cargo premium was listed at $22.6 billion for 2024, while freight forwarding liability premium and loss data was marked as “no data available.”
The conference built on earlier 2026 IUMI webinars covering freight forwarders’ liability practices in China, Europe, and the US, followed by sessions in July on India and France. IUMI said it is weighing whether to push for greater consistency, though it noted that developing a global standard would require further work because liability frameworks differ widely by jurisdiction.