AIG vs Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance: Cargo and Transit Insurance

AIG names general, bulk and project cargo for importers and exporters; Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance's ocean cargo guide states up to a $25 million maximum line, subject to risk profile, and a $15,000 minimum premium.

Embarcadero Risk brings together source-based comparisons for businesses moving people and goods.Research updated 2026-09-30

AIG lists general, bulk, and project cargo across land, sea, and borders. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance lists marine and stock-throughput options, with a published maximum line of $25 million subject to risk profile and stated out-of-appetite classes.

Source material

  1. 01
    Ocean Cargo Insurance

    AIG · Official AIG Ocean Cargo page, lines 242–285: target classes, cargo types, program structures, stated capacity, route consultation, claims promise and policy caveat. · accessed 2026-09-30

  2. 02
    Motor Truck Cargo Legal Liability Coverage

    American Association of Insurance Services, Inc.; hosted by National Unity · Coverage and Property Covered pp.1–2; Perils Excluded pp.6–7; Valuation p.8; How Much We Pay p.9; Transit definition p.13 · accessed 2026-09-16

  3. 03
    Marine

    Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance · Inland and ocean marine product list, covered property classes and target businesses; lines 18-69 · accessed 2026-09-28

  4. 04
    Ocean Marine Cargo Overview

    Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance · Two-page U.S. marketing PDF marked US-12/22-A; product types lines 14-20; ocean marine cargo appetite, capacity and placement lines 43-57; out-of-appetite and target risk characteristics lines 58-72; terms disclaimer lines 103-114 · accessed 2026-09-28

  5. 05
    Commercial Insurance Guide

    California Department of Insurance · Commercial Property; Inland Marine; What Should I Expect from a Broker-Agent · accessed 2026-09-16

  6. 06
    Shipping Options

    International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce · Export Shipping Basics; Tips on International Shipping from U.S.; Working with Freight Forwarders · accessed 2026-09-16

  7. 07
    Special Documents

    International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce · Insurance Certificate bullet · accessed 2026-09-16

What Are the Key Differences Between AIG and Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Cargo and Transit Insurance?

Capacity and Risk Appetite

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) publishes a maximum marine line of $25 million, subject to risk profile, and names target goods such as machinery, food and beverage, bulk liquids, and containerized freight. It lists pharmaceuticals, project cargo, autos, and livestock as outside appetite. AIG names project cargo among its product categories. A project-cargo shipper should resolve that appetite difference before comparing the rest of the terms. [1] [4]

Available Transit Structures

AIG lists general cargo, bulk/break-bulk, project cargo, and possible stock-throughput or logistics structures. BHSI’s cargo overview lists domestic and international transit, excess stock, logistics, and contingent cargo. The labels overlap but do not prove identical protection; ask each underwriter to map loading, storage, and each transit leg to the proposed form. [1] [4]

What Should You Confirm in AIG and Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Cargo and Transit Insurance Quotes?

  • Ask BHSI whether the commodity and project type are within appetite and what maximum line applies to the risk. [1] [4]
  • Ask AIG to identify whether project cargo is available for your shipment and which affiliate would issue it. [1] [4]
  • Compare the quoted transit stages and storage periods; request the same shipment schedule from both. [1] [4]

Coverage topics

AIG

  • role: AIG markets Ocean Cargo insurance and related global/captive solutions. The page does not name the issuing subsidiary for a particular buyer’s policy. Role in this product is limited to the description on the linked AIG source.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: AIG names importers, exporters, manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors with international transit exposures, including containerized general cargo, bulk/break-bulk and project cargo. Audience is the segment AIG names on the linked source; this is not an underwriting decision, quote or guarantee of availability.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: AIG describes protection for goods moved across land, sea or international borders and lists general cargo, bulk/break-bulk and project cargo. It also lists stock-throughput, captive/fronting and logistics package structures; those examples do not settle any buyer’s policy scope. AIG’s public product description is not the policy. Actual entitlement depends on the applicable issued form, endorsements and declarations.company-reportedSource ↗
  • services: AIG lists route, conveyance, packaging and security consultations, marine loss-control engineering, and claims support. Its Marine Claims Promise is conditional on confirmed coverage and applies to specified expense categories and agreed loss estimates. The linked page describes company-reported support; specific account services and third-party arrangements must be confirmed.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: The page advertises $50 million transit capacity and $50 million storage/warehouse capacity, with natural-catastrophe sublimits stated as $10 million per occurrence and annual aggregate. These are advertised capacity figures, not an individual quote or policy limit. This statement reports only what the linked public source discloses and does not substitute for a quote or issued policy.not-disclosedSource ↗

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

  • coverage: BHSI's marine program lists ocean cargo, project cargo and stock-throughput coverage. BHSI U.S. Ocean Marine catalog; not inland transit or proof of the policy territory. Material limitation: Policy territory and transit definitions must be checked; catalog does not itself establish global scope.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: The marine catalog names importers/exporters, freight/logistics operators and manufacturers among its target customers. BHSI U.S. Ocean Marine target-account list only; not Inland Marine eligibility. Material limitation: Target customer examples do not define every acceptable cargo or shipment.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: BHSI’s marine catalog distinguishes ocean marine and inland marine, and separately lists stock-throughput as an option. US BHSI catalog. Material limitation: Confirm how Spot's shared cargo-transit key maps to these distinctions before coding coverage.company-reportedSource ↗
  • coverage: BHSI’s Ocean Marine Cargo overview lists stock throughput, ocean/international transit, domestic transit, excess stock, logistics, and contingent cargo coverage as coverage types available. BHSI U.S. Ocean Marine Cargo marketing overview marked US-12/22-A; the current marine catalog independently lists Ocean Cargo and Stock Throughputs under Ocean Marine. Material limitation: Not all types are necessarily combined or available for every insured. Domestic transit wording is not a basis to merge this line with the separately listed Inland Marine catalog. Verify current forms, exclusions, territory and issuer.company-reportedSource ↗
  • limits: The BHSI Ocean Marine Cargo guide states up to $25 million maximum line, subject to risk profile, a $15,000 minimum premium, worldwide coverage, and primary or excess positions. U.S. Ocean Marine Cargo/STP marketing guide marked US-12/22-A; $25 million capacity expressly depends on risk profile. Material limitation: The document is dated 2022-12 and says multinational policy ability would follow in 2025; do not treat its worldwide wording or current availability as confirmed. Capacity is not an insured limit, and minimum premium is not a quote. Reconfirm current appetite and issuer.company-reportedSource ↗
  • eligibility: The Ocean Marine Cargo guide describes target risks including manufacturers/distributors of finished goods, machinery and equipment, food and beverage, bulk liquids, containerized goods, and stock with balanced exposure; it lists pharmaceuticals, project cargo, autos, DOL, and livestock as out of appetite. BHSI Ocean Marine Cargo/STP appetite in U.S. marketing material marked US-12/22-A. Material limitation: This is historical appetite guidance, not a policy exclusion list or current acceptance commitment. The current BHSI Marine catalog separately lists Project Cargo as an Ocean Marine product while this 2022 guide lists it out of appetite; current product-specific meaning and appetite must be reconciled with underwriting. It does not establish Inland Marine eligibility.company-reportedSource ↗

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