There has been a steady increase in imports into Australia over the last few years, particularly from countries such as China, where cheap labour costs mean cheaper prices for importers.
But with this increase in imports has come greater risk for importers, with shipping accidents more likely to happen due to overcrowded sea lanes. Increasing vigilance by Australian regulators has also meant that inferior or dangerous imported goods can now lead to heavy fines, product recalls and lawsuits against importers.
In such an environment, importers have little choice but to insure their goods against every possible eventuality, from the time they are manufactured overseas to the time they arrive at the warehouse door in Australia.
Importers face numerous risks while their goods are in transit.
Once they are manufactured, the goods are at risk of being lost or damaged during transportation from the manufacturer’s premises to the dock. There, they may face delays prior to shipping, such as problems with documentation and the possibility of pilfering or theft.
Once the goods are loaded onto a cargo ship they can face a range of hazards including being damaged by seawater, being washed overboard in storms and being damaged or lost if the ship runs aground, sinks or capsizes.
When (and if) they arrive in Australia, they then face the risk of delays due to possible documentation problems, industrial action or customs delays. Once they leave the port, they then face the risk of loss or damage during transportation to the importer’s warehouse.
Even if the goods arrive uneventfully, if they are fragile or perishable in any way, they could still end up being damaged due to poor packaging or rough handling, or be spoilt due to delays in transit.
Even once they are shipped out to retailers and appear on the shelves, the importer still faces risks. If the goods are found to be faulty or cause injury to consumers, the importer faces a product recall at best and at worst, the prospect of a lawsuit.
Business insurance isn’t technically mandatory for importing to Australia, but you might find it hard to get very far without it.
International Commercial Terms (Incoterms) will often specify insurance requirements, in which case having insurance might be mandatory, and beyond that it’s simply common sense to protect your investments.
Incoterms are essentially a set of pre-made trade agreements used to divide costs between buyers and sellers and streamline international trade.
They determine who’s going to be responsible for costs like import duties, handling and insurance for goods in transit.
Only two of the Incoterms specify that the seller is responsible for insuring goods in transit, and in many cases the importer will need to organise their own insurance.
In addition to any of your more general business insurance needs, there are three types of cover that relate specifically to the importing or exporting of goods:
Insurance is typically priced by risk, so your costs will tend to match your cover needs when buying through a broker.
For example, if you’re using a contractor to carry goods by road then you might not be paying as much for trucking liability insurance. But if your own business is doing the trucking, your liability insurance might cost more.
The cost and ideal type of cover will depend on your situation, and might be most effectively bought through a broker.
With a broker, you might have a policy for your main business assets and operations and then simply call your broker to set up a policy as needed for each new load of cargo.
Business insurance for importers can be divided into two main types: cargo insurance and products liability insurance. Cargo insurance covers the importer’s goods during transit and products liability insurance covers the importer in the event that the goods are found to be faulty or dangerous.
There are three main types of cargo insurance:
While terms and conditions may vary and importers may require special conditions to cover specific cargoes and circumstances, cargo insurance will usually cover situations such as:
A cargo insurance broker can find you the best price on cargo insurance and make sure that it is adequate for your needs. They can also assist you with any claims that might arise.
The second type of importers business insurance is products liability insurance and this is just as important, if not more so, than cargo insurance.
Under the Trade Practices Act (now known as the Competition and Consumer Act), an importer is ultimately responsible for the safety of any product they introduce into the Australian marketplace.
Furthermore, if the manufacturer of the product does not have a place of business in Australia, the importer is deemed to be the manufacturer and is accountable for all aspects of the product’s design and safety in litigation.
So if you don’t have full control over the product’s manufacture, including the raw materials used to make it that often come from foreign third party suppliers, you would be well advised to have products liability insurance in case of unforeseen problems down the track.
There has been large-scale product recalls in recent years, both in Australia and in the US, and two thirds of those in the US were for imported products largely made in China. So, rather than risking becoming a target for litigation, importers need to cover themselves with products liability insurance.
Products liability insurance will usually cover things such as:
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Hi there,
Myself and my business partner are starting up a new business of importing hair extensions, brushes, lash extensions and accessories to sell online and in our Salon. I’m just wondering because it’s a new business what insurance would we need to go for?
Hi Lauren,
Thank you for your question.
An advisor can help you in deciding the type of cover you need, please complete the contact form to get quotes for professional indemnity insurance quotes. Once you have done so an adviser will contact you.
Please make sure to read the eligibility criteria, features, and details of the policy, as well as the relevant Product Disclosure Statement of the policy before making a decision and consider whether the product is right for you. If necessary, speak to the insurance brand to verify any details.
Cheers,
Zubair