By Jonathan Saul LONDON, Feb 22 (Reuters) – British ship insurer Steamship Mutual plans to set up a new Dutch subsidiary to ensure continued access to trade in the European Union in case Britain loses single market access.
“We are about to apply for a licence to establish a subsidiary company in the Netherlands,” Steamship Mutual’s executive chairman Gary Rynsard told Reuters in an email, adding it would opt for the port city of Rotterdam.
Britain dominates the global marine insurance market and losing access to specialist Protection and Indemnity (P&I) clubs could weaken its multi-billion pound shipping services sector.
Steamship Mutual, which employs around 150 people in the UK, is one of 13 major global P&I clubs and Europe represents more than 30 percent of the insurer’s global business.
Rynsard said it needed “to act now” to ensure it could continue to underwrite business in the bloc at the annual renewal date of February 20, 2019.
This would be just ahead of the March 29, 2019 date when Britain is due to leave the EU and Rynsard said the insurer expected to have five staff in the Netherlands by the end of 2018.
“We cannot rely on transitional plans and will take action assuming a worst case scenario,” he said.
Insurers are making contingency plans after Britain’s vote to leave the EU means they risk losing “passporting” rights that allow UK financial services firms to trade in Europe without the need for locally regulated entities.
The six P&I clubs regulated in Britain are estimated to account for over half the revenue of an industry that insures about 90 percent of the world’s ocean-going tonnage.
P&I clubs North and Standard said in late November they would set up EU subsidiaries in Dublin, while UK P&I Club was next to announce it was opting for the Netherlands and was followed by Britannia, which would create a hub in Luxembourg.
The other UK-regulated P&I club, London, has not yet announced its plans.
Many of these clubs – owned by shipping companies – have been an integral part of the City of London for nearly two centuries, insuring ocean going ships against pollution and injury claims, typically the biggest costs when a vessel sinks.
Hull and machinery cover, which protects vessels against physical damage, is provided separately by other marine insurers.
Dublin, Luxembourg and Brussels are among the EU locations that have emerged for a number of players in the wider insurance market. (Additional reporting by Carolyn Cohn; editing by Alexander Smith)
(Bloomberg) — Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion has entered a new phase, pitting homegrown drone technology against a 2,000 kilometer (1,200 mile) swathe of largely Soviet-era oil facilities. At least...
March 19 (Reuters) – Tanker company Euronav will exit Belgium’s blue-chip Bel-20 index after just two days of trading, as it no longer meets the membership conditions after its takeover by Compagnie Maritime...
MOSCOW, March 19 (Reuters) – The new head of Russia’s Navy was formally presented in his new role for the first time on Tuesday at a pomp-filled ceremony, the state RIA news agency reported,...
March 19, 2024
Total Views: 2486
Why Join the gCaptain Club?
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.