Submitting a Claim

APL provides professional, responsive claims handling to assist you in the event of loss or damage to your cargo while in the care of APL or its representatives. The following is designed to answer your questions and guide you through the claims process.

Contents:

• My Goods Are Damaged/Missing. What Should I do?
• To Whom Should I Send the Claim?
• What Documents Should I Send?
• Our Commitment to Serve You
• Your Responsibilities
• Things to Remember
• Questions?

My Goods Are Damaged/Missing. What Should I do?      Top
Immediately contact your local APL office or agent to report the damage or loss. If you are in North America, contact APL’s Loss Prevention Department in Denver, CO, at 800-872-4565.

If you estimate the value of the damaged goods exceeds $3,000 (U.S.), APL will order a survey to inspect the goods and the circumstances surrounding the damage or loss.If we do not assign a surveyor, please document the extent and type of damage to the goods and to the container. Take photographs, if possible.In the event of missing goods, note the full seal number for all seals, inspect for possible tampering, and retain the seals until your claim is concluded. Please note that under U.S. law, any party receiving goods from a carrier is to give the carrier written notice of the nature and extent of loss or damage, either at the time the goods are removed from the carrier’s custody or no later than three days after delivery if the loss or damage is concealed or otherwise not apparent at time of delivery.

To Whom Should I Send the Claim?      Top
Submit the claim to your insurance carrier or directly to the contract party(s) suspected of causing the loss or damage (e.g., ocean carrier, rail carrier, or dray company).

To file your claim with APL, submit the documents to your local APL office. If you are located in North America, you may fax your documents to 303 754 1522 or mail them to:

American President Lines
Attention: Cargo Claims
116 Inverness Drive East, Suite 400
Englewood, CO 80112

What Documents Should I Send?      Top
No specific form is required; however, all claims should include:

• A letter detailing the nature and extent of your loss or damage, as well as the amount being claimed. Please reference the bill of lading number. A copy of the following documents:
• Shipper’s (commercial) invoice Shipper’s packing list Delivery receipt and devanning tally with seal numbers noted Paid customs entry form Original bill of lading, if available Reconditioning or repair invoices, if applicable
• Salvage invoice if cargo was salvaged
• If your claim is for damaged cargo for which no salvage value is allowed, please provide either:
• a certificate of destruction or
• a statement describing disposition of the cargo, and stating that the goods had no economic value and that the cargo owner, its employees, or agents received no economic benefit from these goods.

Your claim can be resolved in a timely manner if the initial claim is fully documented.

Our Commitment to Serve You      Top
We acknowledge all claims within three working days of receipt. We do not acknowledge preliminary claims or notices, but retain them pending receipt of actual claim.

We will make every attempt to resolve customer claims in a timely manner upon receipt of a fully documented claim.

Your Responsibilities      Top
Mitigation of loss— It is the cargo owner’s responsibility to take all reasonable steps to mitigate the loss (e.g., separating wet goods, cleaning, repackaging, and salvage, if necessary).

Time for claim/suit— Suit for freight loss or damage must be filed within one year from the date the cargo was delivered or should have been delivered, unless a written request for extension has been received and granted by APL prior to expiration of the one year "statute of limitations."

Things to Remember      Top
APL liability— APL liability is limited by the terms and conditions of applicable freight tariffs, APL’s bill of lading, as well as provisions of the U.S. Carriage of Goods by Sea Act— 1936 ("COGSA"), or the Hague Rules in effect in the country having jurisdiction.

Per package/unit limitation— In the absence of a declaration of value at the time of shipment and payment of an ad valorem rate, carrier liability is limited to $500 (U.S.) per package or, for goods not shipped in packages, per customary freight unit. Where jurisdiction dictates application of the Hague Rules, per package/unit limitation is determined by applicable law.

Questions?      Top
Please call us at 800-872-4565 between 7 am and 5 pm, Pacific time. Ask for APL International claims.