Cover for everything you move by sea, air and road.

Only if your trade terms say so. Under Incoterms, terms like CIF and CIP make the seller arrange cover, but often only to a minimum standard; under FOB, EXW and most other terms, the goods are your risk from the moment they leave the factory or the port. Even when the seller does insure, the claim is settled on their terms and in their jurisdiction. Most NZ importers arrange their own cargo policy so the cover, the limits and the claim are theirs. Your broker will read your terms and tell you where your risk starts.

Not for their full value. Within New Zealand, the Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017 limits a carrier's liability to $2,000 per unit of goods unless you've agreed otherwise, and international carriers work to similar limits set by convention — a fraction of what a pallet or container is usually worth. Transit insurance pays the real value and doesn't depend on proving the carrier was at fault.

They're the standard wordings most cargo policies are built on. Clauses (A) are the widest — all risks, subject to exclusions. Clauses (B) and (C) are narrower named-perils covers, with (C) the most restricted and generally the minimum a seller has to provide under CIF terms. For most NZ importers and exporters, Clauses (A) are what you want; your broker will recommend the wording and the extras — like war and strikes cover — that suit your goods and your routes.

If you ship occasionally, a single-transit policy is simple and priced per shipment. If you're importing, exporting or moving stock regularly, an annual cargo or transit policy is usually easier and better value — one policy, one renewal, with cover applying automatically to each consignment up to agreed limits and declared as you go. Tell your broker your volumes and routes and we'll recommend which fits.

Physical loss or damage to a commercial vessel — a fishing boat, charter vessel, barge, tug, aquaculture boat or work boat — plus its machinery and equipment, and usually third-party liability for damage the vessel causes. Cover for crew, passengers, salvage and wreck removal varies between insurers and depends on how and where the vessel operates. Your broker will build the cover around the vessel's survey, use and operating area.

If you carry your own stock or equipment, a goods in transit policy covers it while it's on the road, loading and unloading. If you carry goods for other people, that's carriers' liability, which sits with your truck insurance. Many operators need both, and it's easy to have one without the other. Your broker will check how the two line up with the cover on your vehicles.