Because a ship can trade to any port in the world and can require assistance in that port, the P&I Insurers have developed a network of representatives or ‘Correspondents’ to assist their ship owner members when vessels have a problem. P&I is an essential part of the shipping industry and some correspondents have been working with the P&I Clubs since they were formed in the mid 19th Century.

Whilst we are not a branch of the Clubs nor their agents, in the sense that we cannot accept legal proceedings on their or their Members’ behalf, we literally function as their eyes and ears in the region we serve, keeping them informed of regional developments and practices that concern their Members’ activities as well as loss prevention initiatives and marketing opportunities.

The most common P&I problems which arise are: Cargo damages, injured, ill or deceased crewmembers, stowaways, dock damages, collisions with other ships and oil spills. The role of Shanghai Pandi Services is to assist the officers and crew of a ship when they have a P&I or H&M related problem in a port where we provide correspondent service. This assistance can take many forms but regularly includes; arranging surveys and tallies, carrying out claims handling, providing local assistance with Ports, Immigration and Medical Authorities, appointing Lawyers (where necessary) repatriating stowaways and generally helping a vessel when it is in a foreign and sometimes unknown port.

When something goes wrong with a ship, a port call or a cargo that could lead to a legal claim, a speedy response is critical from an effective P&I correspondent. Time is of the essence to ensure the full investigation, documentation and analysis of any legal claim to assess and minimize any financial exposure as a result of an incident.

Our P&I team of experienced, dedicated claims handlers with considerable legal and technical expertise are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round, to attend to incidents promptly and proactively. Their excellent relationships with local authorities, port officials, terminals and receivers are key in helping to expedite the handling of cases to reduce exposure and bring about the timely and equitable settlement of claims. When necessary, we can arrange security in form of LOU (Letter of Undertaking) to be issued by our shareholder (China P&I Club), which is well and widely acceptable to the claimants in China, including Chinese courts and local authorities (MSA, Customs etc.), in order to avoid arrest or detention to the vessel in Chinese ports.