While reading the comments from friends and professionals who engaged with my recent article about televisions leaving China in perfect condition and arriving in Dar es Salaam looking as though they had fought pirates, one response caught my attention.

It came from Yuki Liu, a sourcing and quality-control professional working with importers in Guangzhou.

Her advice was simple: take responsibility for your cargo insurance, and obtain photographs showing your goods loaded inside the container before paying the final balance.

A practical reader. A short comment. A very important business lesson.

Because sometimes, the biggest threat to an importer’s profit begins with these familiar words:

“Hiyo gharama tuipunguze kidogo.” 😂

- Let us reduce that cost a little.

- Insurance? Too expensive.

- Inspection? We trust the supplier.

- Contract review? We have already agreed on WhatsApp.

- Loading photographs? The supplier is busy.

Then the container arrives, and suddenly everyone has time—for meetings, complaints, demand letters and lengthy prayers!

THE SHORTCUT THAT BECOMES THE LONGEST JOURNEY

Imagine an importer buying USD 50,000 worth of goods.

They spend weeks negotiating the price, comparing freight quotations and calculating the profit on every item. That is sensible business.

But when insurance and inspection enter the discussion, the mood changes:

“Advocate, these additional expenses are eating our profit.”

Fair concern. Every business must control costs.

But there is a difference between reducing an unnecessary expense and removing the protection your investment needs.

The ocean does not know that you negotiated a good price. It will not treat your container gently because this is your first shipment. 😂

If goods arrive damaged, the purchase price, freight charges and other expenses may already have been paid—while the expected sales income disappears.

The saving was visible before shipment. The exposure becomes visible afterwards.

“THE SUPPLIER SAID EVERYTHING WAS COVERED”

Those words deserve a follow-up question:

Covered by what, exactly?

An assurance in a message is a starting point. Ask for the insurance documents and establish:

- Which goods and shipment are insured?
- What risks are covered, and what exclusions apply?
- What value is insured?
- Where does the cover begin and end?
- Who can claim, and what documents will they need?
- What excess or deductible applies?

Yuki’s comment makes an excellent practical point: importers should take an active role in protecting their cargo.

That does not mean supplier-arranged insurance is automatically inadequate, or that buying a second policy is always necessary. The key is to verify that suitable insurance actually exists and protects your interest.

For example, under Incoterms® 2020, CIF generally requires a lower minimum level of insurance than CIP. A buyer who sees “insurance included” should therefore ask what cover has actually been arranged.

Read the policy before you need the policy.

It is a much calmer experience. 😂

A BEAUTIFUL PRODUCT PHOTO IS NOT A LOADING RECORD

The supplier sends you a photograph of a perfect television.

Excellent.

But is that your television? Is it part of your order? Was it packed properly? Did it enter the container assigned to your shipment?

A product photograph answers a different question from a loading photograph.

Where appropriate, request dated photographs or video showing the goods, packaging, loading process, container number and seal number. For higher-value or sensitive cargo, consider an independent inspection and loading supervision.

These records can help establish what was shipped and its apparent condition at the time.

They cannot guarantee that nothing will go wrong during the voyage. A photograph is useful evidence; it is not a life jacket for a television. 😂

Agree on inspection requirements, loading records and payment conditions before the final balance falls due. Trying to introduce new conditions at the last minute can create another dispute.

“WE HAVE USED THIS SUPPLIER FOR YEARS!”

That relationship is valuable.

Keep it—and keep the records.

A trusted supplier can still make a packing mistake. A reliable carrier can still encounter an incident. Damage can occur during handling or inland transport.

Good documentation helps responsible businesses explain what happened. It also helps distinguish an honest mistake from an unsupported accusation.

You can maintain a warm commercial relationship and still ask for an insurance certificate.

“Dear friend” and “please send the documents” can comfortably appear in the same message. 🤝

CHEAP IS ONLY CHEAP IF THE GOODS ARRIVE AND CAN BE SOLD

Before shipment, the importer sees an insurance premium, an inspection fee or the cost of reviewing a contract.

After a serious cargo incident, the same importer may face damaged stock, survey expenses, delayed sales, customer refunds, storage costs and a contested claim.

Not every loss will be recoverable. Insurance adequacy matters because damage to uninsured or inadequately insured cargo can expose a business to substantial financial loss.

That is why the useful question is:

“What financial exposure am I accepting to save this amount?”

Sometimes the saving makes commercial sense. Sometimes it leaves the whole transaction resting on hope.

Hope is welcome aboard. It should not be the only protection in the container.

BEFORE YOUR NEXT SHIPMENT, DO THESE FIVE THINGS

1. Confirm your trading terms. - Understand when risk passes and who must arrange transport and insurance.
2. Verify suitable cargo cover. - Check the actual documents, relevant risks, insured value, journey and applicable local requirements.
3. Agree on inspection and loading evidence. - Make the requirements clear before shipment and payment.
4. Keep a complete transaction file. - Preserve contracts, invoices, packing lists, payment records, correspondence and transport documents.
5. Prepare for a possible claim. - Know whom to notify and obtain prompt advice if loss or damage occurs.

These steps will not eliminate every problem. They put you in a stronger position when a problem arises.

At ARIK Law Attorneys, we help businesses address the contractual and legal risks behind international trade, maritime transactions and cargo disputes.

The best time to discuss protection is while the goods are still being prepared—not when the container door opens and everyone suddenly becomes a maritime lawyer!

Thank you, Yuki, for bringing practical experience into the conversation.

Fellow importers: what is the most expensive “small saving” you have encountered in international trade? 👇

Adv. Walter Godluck
Managing Partner | ARIK Law Attorneys
International Trade | Maritime & Port Law | Commercial Dispute Resolution
🌐 [www.ariklaw.co.tz](https://www.ariklaw.co.tz)

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