01
Commercial assessment
We review commodity, condition, quantity, packaging, location, documentation and customs status to establish what commercial value, if any, remains in the consignment.
Abandoned · Unclaimed · Refused · Stranded cargo
Abandoned Cargo & Container
Resolution Worldwide
Pommer & Partners provides commercial solutions for abandoned, unclaimed, refused and problematic container cargo worldwide — recovering the value that remains and releasing containers from situations where storage, demurrage and operational problems keep accumulating.
Who buys abandoned cargo? We do — as principal.
Pommer & Partners purchases and recovers abandoned, unclaimed, refused and stranded cargo worldwide. We handle containerised cargo, bulk commodities, general cargo and warehouse stocks for shipping lines, P&I Clubs, insurers, shipowners, freight forwarders, terminals and cargo interests.
Where title and the regulatory position allow it, we act as a principal buyer — we quote for the consignment, buy it for our own account on an AS IS, WHERE IS basis and take on the practical work of moving, recovering, remarketing or lawfully removing it. We are not an intermediary passing enquiries on, and not a listing platform waiting for a bid.
With more than seven decades of marine and cargo salvage behind the firm, our starting question on every file is the same: what is still recoverable, in which market, and how quickly can the cargo leave the terminal. See our distressed cargo buyer, cargo recovery and abandoned container cargo pages for the detail, or the marine and insurance salvage overview for cases handled for underwriters and clubs.
Who instructs us
- Shipowners
- Ship managers
- P&I Clubs
- Marine insurers
- Cargo insurers
- Lloyd's Agents
- Average Agents
- Surveyors
- Salvage brokers
- Shipping lines
- Freight forwarders
- Charterers
- Cargo owners
- Commodity traders
- Insolvency administrators
- Banks & financial institutions
What we take on
Containerised cargo
FCL and LCL consignments left at terminals, depots and bonded warehouses.
Bulk commodities
Grain, feed, fertiliser, minerals, oils and other bulk parcels without a receiver.
General cargo
Breakbulk, palletised goods, bagged cargo, drums, machinery and project consignments.
Warehouse stocks
Uncollected stock, insolvency inventory and residual lots in third-party storage.
Principal buyer · not a listing platform
We don't just list abandoned cargo. We solve the case.
An online auction hands the problem to whoever happens to bid. Pommer & Partners takes the file: we assess the cargo, quote for it, and where appropriate buy it as principal and take responsibility for what happens next.
- 01
Direct purchase
Where title and the regulatory position allow, we buy the cargo for our own account as principal.
- 02
Worldwide remarketing
Placement with traders, processors and end users through our international buyer network.
- 03
Re-export solutions
Movement of the cargo out of the port of discharge to a market where it can be used.
- 04
Local resale
Sale in the country of discharge where customs, import and product rules permit it.
- 05
Cargo recovery
Sorting, reconditioning, repacking, blending or refining to restore commercial usability.
- 06
Alternative use or recycling
Industrial, technical or material recovery routes when the original use is closed.
- 07
Destruction & disposal
Compliant destruction only where commercial recovery is genuinely impossible.
- 08
Logistics coordination
Work alongside terminals, hauliers, depots, surveyors, brokers and the competent authorities.
- 09
AS IS, WHERE IS
Cargo bought in its present condition at its present location, reflected in the price.
- 10
Fast commercial evaluation
An indication of whether the cargo carries recoverable value, without a drawn-out process.
- 11
No Cure No Pay
Where appropriate, a recovery structure in which our remuneration follows the result achieved.
- 12
Confidential handling
Survey reports, photographs and documents are treated as confidential case material.
The commercial problem
From Port Liability to Commercial Recovery
Abandoned cargo is rarely a storage question alone. Every day the consignment stays where it is, the financial exposure of the carrier, insurer or terminal grows while the cargo itself becomes worth less.
Demurrage
Container demurrage accrues from the moment free time expires, regardless of cargo value.
Detention
Equipment detention charges continue for as long as the box is not returned to the carrier.
Terminal storage
Quay, yard and warehouse storage is invoiced daily and rarely stops without a decision.
Container blockage
Units stay out of rotation, tying up equipment the carrier needs elsewhere.
Port congestion
Uncollected cargo occupies slots, plugs and yard space in already constrained terminals.
Deteriorating cargo
Moisture, heat, infestation, caking and shelf life reduce recoverable value week by week.
Additional survey cost
Each further inspection, sampling round and laboratory analysis adds to the file.
Disposal cost
Destruction, waste classification and treatment are a pure cost if recovery is never explored.
Customs complications
Unresolved entries, missing documents and expiring deadlines narrow the available routes.
Increasing exposure
The longer the file stays open, the larger the claim, the indemnity and the write-off.
Our purpose on these files is to reverse that direction: to establish whether the cargo still carries recoverable value, to find the market or recovery route in which that value exists, and to turn a growing port liability into a commercial recovery — or, where nothing remains, into a controlled and final removal.
Typical circumstances
The situations behind an abandoned consignment.
Cargo is seldom abandoned deliberately. It is usually the end point of a commercial, documentary or regulatory problem that nobody resolved in time.
- 01Consignee refuses delivery
- 02Consignee disappears or stops responding
- 03Importer becomes insolvent
- 04Cargo cannot obtain import clearance
- 05Documents are missing or incomplete
- 06Customs issues prevent delivery
- 07Storage and demurrage exceed cargo value
- 08Cargo is damaged or off-specification
- 09Cargo is abandoned at the terminal
- 10Shipping line or P&I Club needs the cargo removed
What Pommer & Partners can do
Recover value first. Disposal only when necessary.
The order below is the order we work in. Every file starts with a commercial assessment, and disposal is considered only once the recovery routes have been examined and ruled out.
02
Direct purchase
Where the case is commercially viable and the legal position is clear, we may buy the cargo for our own account as principal on an AS IS, WHERE IS basis. Not every consignment is suitable for purchase.
03
Worldwide remarketing
Where a direct purchase is not the right route, we look for alternative buyers, industries, grades and destinations through our international network of traders, processors and end users.
04
Salvage sale
Structured salvage sales, including sales in present condition at present location, where that produces the better commercial result for the instructing party.
05
Re-export
Where legally and commercially possible, sale and movement of the cargo out of the port of discharge to a market in which it can lawfully be used.
06
Alternative use & recovery
Sorting, reconditioning, repacking, blending, refining, recycling or technical reuse when the original intended use is closed.
07
Controlled disposal
Only where commercial recovery is genuinely impossible: coordinated recycling, destruction or disposal with suitable professional partners and the competent authorities.
How an abandoned cargo file moves
Four steps from stranded consignment to solution.
- 01
Send cargo details
Commodity, quantity, location, photos, survey reports, documents and current status.
- 02
Commercial assessment
We evaluate whether the cargo has recoverable commercial value and on what route.
- 03
Buyer / recovery solution
Direct purchase, remarketing, re-export, recycling or another commercially viable solution.
- 04
Cargo removal
We coordinate the agreed removal or onward movement of the cargo with the parties involved.
Reports and photographs can be provided confidentially. Public pricing is not required, and no cargo is advertised or listed publicly at any stage. Send the details to contact@pommerpartners.com.
Who we work with
Written for the people who carry the file.
Abandoned and unclaimed cargo is normally handled by a claims manager, a carrier's cargo department, a terminal operator or a lawyer acting for one of them. Those are the parties we deal with directly.
- P&I Clubs
- Marine insurers
- Cargo insurers
- Shipowners
- Shipping lines
- Container carriers
- Freight forwarders
- NVOCCs
- Terminal operators
- Port agents
- Lloyd's Agents
- Marine surveyors
- Cargo owners
- Banks
- Insolvency administrators
- Customs brokers
- Lawyers handling cargo claims
Cargo types
The commodities behind these enquiries.
Abandoned and unclaimed consignments cover most of the commodity spectrum. Hazardous, regulated and controlled cargoes are examined case by case against the applicable rules — they are not automatically accepted.
- Food and agricultural commodities
- Chemicals
- Minerals and industrial raw materials
- Plastics and polymers
- Packaging materials
- Consumer goods
- Machinery
- Building materials
- Containerised commodities
- Bulk cargo
A fuller breakdown by commodity group is set out on our cargo types page, and the ports where we are most frequently instructed are listed under locations.
Geographic reach
Cargo evaluated at ports and terminals worldwide.
Pommer & Partners operates internationally. We can assess abandoned, unclaimed and stranded cargo wherever it lies — container terminals, bulk berths, bonded warehouses, depots and inland facilities — working with local surveyors, agents and service providers appointed for the case.
FAQ
Abandoned and unclaimed cargo: common questions.
Who buys abandoned cargo?
Abandoned cargo is bought by specialist distressed cargo buyers rather than by ordinary traders. Pommer & Partners purchases and recovers abandoned cargo worldwide, with the outcome depending on the commodity, its condition, its location and the customs, sanctions and waste regulations that apply to the consignment.
Who buys abandoned shipping containers?
Pommer & Partners primarily purchases or remarkets the cargo inside abandoned and unclaimed containers, not empty second-hand container units. Our interest is the commodity, the stock or the material in the box and the route by which it can be recovered, resold or lawfully removed.
What happens when a consignee abandons cargo?
The shipping line, terminal, insurer or other cargo interest is left with a consignment that continues to accrue storage, demurrage and detention. In practice they need an alternative buyer, or a re-export, recovery, recycling or disposal route, and each of these depends on title, customs status and local regulations.
Can abandoned cargo be sold?
In many situations commercial recovery is possible. Before any sale, legal title, the authority to dispose of the cargo, its customs status and the applicable local regulations have to be established. Where that position is clear, a sale, re-export or recovery route can usually be structured.
Can Pommer & Partners buy cargo directly?
Yes. Depending on the case, Pommer & Partners can act as principal buyer and purchase the cargo for its own account on an AS IS, WHERE IS basis, rather than acting only as an intermediary or listing agent.
Can you handle abandoned cargo worldwide?
We work internationally and can evaluate cargo at ports, terminals, depots and warehouses in most trading regions, using our own network of buyers, processors, surveyors and service providers together with local representatives appointed for the case.
Do you work with P&I Clubs and shipping lines?
Yes. The service is designed for P&I Clubs, marine and cargo insurers, container carriers, shipowners, terminals, forwarders and their appointed lawyers, surveyors and agents, and our role in each case is disclosed in writing.
What information do you need?
Commodity, quantity, location, packaging or container details, photographs, any survey report, the reason for abandonment, the customs status of the consignment and the time constraints that apply.
Can abandoned containers be sold?
Whether the cargo in an abandoned container can be sold depends on legal title, the contractual rights of carrier and cargo interests, the customs status of the consignment, local law and the instructions of the parties legally entitled to dispose of it. Once that position is confirmed in writing, a sale, re-export or recovery route can usually be structured.
What if the cargo has no remaining commercial value?
Where assessment shows that no commercial route remains, recycling, material recovery, controlled destruction or compliant disposal may be considered instead, depending on the commodity, its condition and the waste and environmental requirements applying at the location.
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.
Related cargo solutions
Abandoned Container Cargo
Solutions for cargo inside abandoned and unclaimed containers.
Unclaimed Cargo Recovery
Shipments never collected or claimed by the consignee.
Abandoned Freight Buyers
Freight left behind in transit, at depots and in warehouses.
Refused Cargo Buyers
Consignments refused on arrival by receivers or authorities.
Stranded Containers
Boxes immobilised by documents, clearance or insolvency.
Customs-Held Cargo
Commercial routes for cargo detained in customs custody.
Distressed Cargo Buyer
Principal purchase of distressed cargo, AS IS, WHERE IS.
Damaged Cargo Buyers
Wet, contaminated and heat-affected consignments.
Rejected & Off-Spec Cargo
Off-specification and quality-rejected consignments.
Agricultural Commodities
Distressed grain, feed, oils and foodstuffs.
Cargo Recovery
How recovery companies, consultants and buyers differ.
Submit cargo details
Do You Have Abandoned or Unclaimed Cargo?
If containers are accumulating storage and demurrage, or cargo has been abandoned, refused or left unclaimed, send us the available details for an initial commercial assessment — commodity, quantity, location, condition, customs status and any survey report.
contact@pommerpartners.com