General average is a maritime-law principle: when a deliberate sacrifice or extraordinary expense is made to save a voyage from common peril, jettison, firefighting damage, salvage, all cargo and vessel interests share the loss proportionally. Declared cases require security from every cargo owner before release.
The doctrine predates insurance by centuries and survives inside it: adjustments follow the York-Antwerp Rules referenced in the contract of carriage, and specialist average adjusters apportion values in a process that can run for years on a large containership casualty.
For a cargo owner the practical shock is the security requirement: even undamaged containers are held until an average bond, and typically an insurer’s guarantee, is posted. Cargo insurance normally covers general-average contributions; uninsured cargo owners must post cash security themselves.
A general-average casualty scrambles normal logistics: the vessel diverts to a refuge port, cargo may discharge there, and release turns on security paperwork rather than customs. Tracking in TrackingMCP shows the diversion and where each container physically ended up, which insurers and adjusters need per box, while owners watch for the eventual onward or release events.
Contract wording controls. This page is general orientation, not legal advice. The exact terms of your bill of lading, service contract, or sales contract decide how these concepts apply in a dispute.
General average is a maritime-law principle: when a deliberate sacrifice or extraordinary expense is made to save a voyage from common peril, jettison, firefighting damage, salvage, all cargo and vessel interests share the loss proportionally. Declared cases require security from every cargo owner before release.
Yes. Contribution follows the saved value of your cargo, not whether it was damaged; the undamaged benefit from the sacrifice by definition. Insurance normally absorbs the contribution.
Security and release can happen within weeks; the final adjustment on a major casualty commonly takes years. Interim payments and guarantees bridge the gap.
Locate every affected box →
Refuge and diversion context →
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