01
Principal Buyer
Direct Purchase
We purchase distressed, damaged, rejected, off-specification, abandoned or otherwise problematic cargo for our own account — allowing cargo interests to close a file quickly and with commercial certainty.
International distressed cargo buyers · Cargo recovery worldwide
Worldwide Distressed Cargo Buyers & Recovery Specialists.
We evaluate, purchase, recover and remarket distressed, damaged, rejected, off-specification and abandoned cargo worldwide. Where appropriate we act as principal and buy cargo AS IS, WHERE IS.
Marine insurance · Shipowners · P&I Clubs · Traders · Cargo interests
contact@pommerpartners.comBuilt on family salvage experience dating back to 1952
70+
Years of Family Salvage Experience
100+
Countries & Markets
3
Generations
One case. One contact. Multiple solutions.
Three core capabilities under one roof.
Clients do not need several different companies. Pommer & Partners can manage the complete process from initial cargo assessment through purchase, remarketing, recovery or final disposal.
02
Salvage & Remarketing
Salvage Sale & Remarketing
Where direct purchase is not commercially or geographically appropriate, we organise and manage the sale through our international network of buyers, traders, processors and end users.
03
Recovery Coordinator
Recovery, Recycling & Disposal
If cargo no longer has a commercially viable market, we organise recycling, recovery, alternative industrial use, destruction or legally compliant disposal.
Depending on the cargo, jurisdiction and commercial circumstances, Pommer & Partners may purchase cargo as principal or provide remarketing, recovery, recycling or disposal coordination services. Where we buy, we act as a party to the transaction and not as an independent adviser or valuer.
Types of cases
Cargo situations we are asked to solve.
- 01Distressed Cargo
- 02Damaged Cargo
- 03Rejected Cargo
- 04Off-Spec Cargo
- 05Contaminated Cargo
- 06Wet Cargo
- 07Temperature-Damaged Cargo
- 08Abandoned Cargo
- 09Unclaimed Cargo
- 10Customs Problems
- 11Insolvency Stocks
- 12Marine Casualties
- 13General Average / Salvage Situations
- 14Cargo requiring urgent removal
- 15Cargo requiring destruction or disposal
How we work
A short route from case to solution.
Recover value. Reduce exposure. Release the asset.
A disciplined framework adapted to the commercial and regulatory circumstances of each file.
- 01
Notification & Documentation
Cargo details, location, condition, photographs, survey reports and available analyses are received.
- 02
Technical & Regulatory Review
Condition, title, customs status, applicable regulation and realistic alternative uses are assessed.
- 03
Commercial Route Selection
Direct purchase, salvage sale, remarketing, recovery, recycling or disposal is selected according to the case.
- 04
Execution
The agreed transaction or recovery route is coordinated with the relevant parties.
- 05
Completion & Reporting
Final documents, disposal or recovery evidence and the commercial outcome are reported.
Urgent marine cases · Shipowners & P&I Clubs
Cargo problem holding up your vessel?
When rejected or distressed cargo prevents a vessel from continuing normal operations, time can become more expensive than the cargo itself. Pommer & Partners evaluates commercially realistic options for removing, selling, recovering or disposing of problematic cargo.
Our history
Three Generations in International Salvage
Family salvage experience since 1952
Three Generations. Worldwide.
The Pommer family’s experience in the salvage business dates back to 1952, when the first generation began trading in salvage paper.
Klaus Pommer grew into the salvage business as the second generation, building extensive hands-on experience over the decades and expanding the family’s activities from salvage paper into the international trading and recovery of distressed and damaged cargoes.
Today, Pommer & Partners is entering its third generation, carrying forward that family experience while combining traditional salvage expertise with an international network and a modern approach to cargo recovery, remarketing and salvage trading. Pommer & Partners International Trading Limited is a separate Irish legal entity, incorporated in 2017.
1952
The Beginning
First-generation involvement in salvage trading, initially specialising in salvage paper.
Second Generation
Klaus Pommer
Klaus Pommer grew into the family salvage business and subsequently expanded its activities into international distressed and damaged cargo trading.
Today
Third Generation
Pommer & Partners enters its third generation, combining traditional salvage expertise with modern international cargo recovery and remarketing.
Global reach
One desk. Worldwide reach.
Historical business activity across major maritime markets worldwide, supported by an international network of buyers, processors, surveyors and service providers engaged according to the requirements of each case.
HamburgRotterdamJebel AliMombasaDurbanSingapore
Europe·Africa·Asia·Americas·Oceania
Priority maritime regions
- Mediterranean
- Middle East
- Far East
Supporting distressed, rejected and off-specification cargo cases across international shipping and commodity markets. Geographic information represents historical business activity and international market reach. Pommer & Partners does not maintain offices in these countries.
Trust & compliance
Commercial, but always within the rules.
Transactions and services are subject to verification and applicable regulation, including:
- Ownership and title verification
- Applicable customs requirements
- Sanctions and compliance checks
- Environmental and waste regulations
- Local laws
- Cargo-specific regulatory requirements
Purchases and sales require evidence of ownership and authority to sell, or the written authority of the insurer or party entitled to dispose of the cargo. Recovery, recycling and disposal routes depend on waste classification and on applicable environmental, transport and customs rules in the countries involved. Potential alternative use of food or agricultural cargo, including animal-feed applications, depends on cargo condition, laboratory results and applicable food and feed legislation, and is only pursued where the competent authorities and the relevant rules allow it.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
- What is distressed cargo?
- Distressed cargo is commercial cargo whose original sale, delivery or intended use has been disrupted by damage, rejection, specification issues, contamination, logistics problems, insolvency, abandonment or other circumstances. It often still holds commercial value in a different market, grade or application. Learn more about our distressed cargo services.
- Who buys distressed cargo?
- Distressed cargo is bought by specialist buyers who can assess condition, regulation and alternative markets. Pommer & Partners purchases distressed cargo as principal and, where direct purchase is not appropriate, arranges a salvage sale or remarketing through international buyers, processors and end users. Read more about cargo remarketing and salvage sales.
- Can Pommer & Partners purchase cargo directly?
- Yes. Depending on the commodity, location, jurisdiction and commercial circumstances, Pommer & Partners can purchase cargo as principal for its own account, which allows cargo interests to close a file with commercial certainty.
- What happens when cargo is rejected at the discharge port?
- The usual sequence is: documentation and survey review, commercial and regulatory assessment, then a route — direct purchase, an alternative buyer, an alternative market, processing, recovery or disposal. Speed matters because storage, demurrage and port costs continue to accrue. Read more about our rejected cargo solutions.
- Can Pommer & Partners handle urgent vessel cases?
- Yes. Where distressed or rejected cargo delays discharge or holds up a vessel, the objective is usually the best overall economic outcome rather than the highest theoretical cargo price. Urgent cases can be submitted directly by email, without a form. Learn more about our marine cargo salvage work.
- Which documents should I send for a cargo evaluation?
- Commodity, quantity, current location, cargo condition or problem, survey report if available, laboratory analysis if available, photographs and the required timeframe. The more complete the documentation, the faster a realistic option can be given.
Submit a cargo case
Send us the cargo. We will tell you the realistic options.
Send us the cargo details, location, quantity, condition and available survey information for an initial assessment.
contact@pommerpartners.com