01
Water & moisture damage
Seawater or rainwater ingress, condensation and ship's sweat affecting bagged, bulk or palletised cargo. Segregation of sound and affected fractions often determines what value remains.
Damaged cargo · Worldwide
Damaged Cargo
Buyers & Recovery
Pommer & Partners purchases damaged cargo as principal and arranges remarketing, recovery, recycling or compliant disposal where direct purchase is not the right route.
Definition
Damaged cargo
Damaged cargo is cargo whose physical condition, packaging or quality has been impaired during carriage, handling or storage, so that it no longer meets the original contract, buyer requirement or intended use.
Damage does not automatically destroy value. A consignment can often be graded, segregated, downgraded, reprocessed or placed with a buyer whose specification tolerates the documented condition.
What matters commercially is evidence: survey findings, laboratory results, photographs and a clear statement of quantity, packing and location. On that basis Pommer & Partners can quote as buyer, or organise a salvage sale, recovery or disposal route.
Damage patterns
The damage patterns we are asked to price.
02
Contamination
Contact with previous cargo residues, hold coatings, fuel, chemicals, insects or foreign matter. Laboratory evidence decides whether a food, feed or purely industrial route is possible.
03
Temperature damage
Reefer breakdown, power interruption, heat exposure or freezing. Condition frequently varies pallet by pallet, so grading matters more than headline figures.
04
Physical & handling damage
Crushed, torn or burst packaging, collapsed pallets, stevedore damage, dents and deformation on machinery and consumer products.
05
Fire, smoke & firefighting water
Cargo affected directly by fire or indirectly by smoke, soot and extinguishing water — often recoverable in part after inspection.
06
Packaging & labelling damage
Product sound but packaging, labels, date coding or brand presentation no longer acceptable to the original buyer.
Problem → solution
Typical cargo problems and the routes we evaluate.
Not every cargo can be recovered or sold. These are the routes we test, in the order in which they are normally examined.
Cargo rejected at destination
- 01Direct purchase
- 02Alternative buyer
- 03Alternative market
- 04Processing
- 05Recovery
- 06Disposal
The route chosen depends on condition, documentation, customs and sanctions position, and local law.
Damaged grain aboard a vessel
- 01Survey & laboratory information
- 02Determine potential use
- 03Identify suitable market
- 04Purchase or salvage sale
- 05Coordinate discharge solution
Feed or food use can never be assumed; it depends on analysis results and applicable regulation.
Cargo affected by water
- 01Assessment
- 02Segregation where possible
- 03Determine remaining commercial value
- 04Alternative buyer or recovery route
Off-specification industrial product
- 01Analyse specification deviation
- 02Identify alternative industrial applications
- 03Remarket or recover
Cargo with no remaining commercial market
- 01Recycling
- 02Energy recovery where legally permitted
- 03Destruction
- 04Compliant disposal
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.
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.
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.
How we work
A short route from case to solution.
Recover value. Reduce exposure. Release the asset.
- 01
Cargo Assessment
Send us the available information:
- Commodity
- Quantity
- Location
- Photographs
- Survey report
- Laboratory analysis
- Bill of Lading information where appropriate
- Reason for rejection or damage
- Time constraints
- 02
Commercial Evaluation
We determine the most practical recovery route. This may include direct purchase, salvage sale, alternative market placement, processing, recycling or disposal.
- 03
Solution
BuyRemarketRecoverRecycleDispose - 04
Execution
We coordinate the commercial solution with the relevant parties and local service providers where required. The objective is simple: recover value, reduce exposure, release the asset.
FAQ
Selling damaged cargo — common 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. Distressed cargo.
- 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. Cargo remarketing & salvage sales.
- Where can I sell damaged cargo?
- Damaged cargo can be sold to buyers who work with downgraded grades, technical or industrial applications, or processors. Send the commodity, quantity, location, condition and any survey or laboratory information to contact@pommerpartners.com and we will assess realistic routes. Damaged cargo buyers.
- Who buys rejected cargo?
- Rejected cargo — refused at destination for specification, quality, documentation, contamination or regulatory reasons — is bought by specialists able to place it in an alternative market or use. Pommer & Partners buys rejected cargo directly or manages its remarketing. Rejected & off-spec cargo.
- Who buys damaged grain?
- Damaged grain is bought by traders, feed producers, processors and industrial users depending on laboratory results and applicable feed and food regulation. Pommer & Partners evaluates damaged maize, wheat, barley, rice, soy products, feed ingredients and vegetable oils case by case. Agricultural commodities.
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
Distressed Cargo Buyer
We buy damaged, rejected and abandoned cargo as principal, AS IS, WHERE IS.
Cargo Recovery Companies
How cargo recovery companies, consultants and salvage buyers differ.
Distressed Cargo
Buyers & recovery specialists worldwide.
Marine Cargo Salvage
Salvage sales and cargo recovery at sea and in port.
Rejected & Off-Spec Cargo
Solutions for rejected and off-specification consignments.
Agricultural Commodities
Distressed grain, feed and vegetable oils.
Cargo Remarketing
International salvage sales and buyer placement.
Cargo Recovery & Recycling
Material and energy recovery routes.
Cargo Disposal & Destruction
When no commercial market remains.
Case Studies
How cargo cases are structured and resolved.
Submit cargo details
Send the survey, the photographs and the quantity. We will tell you what is realistic.
Send us the cargo details, location, quantity, condition and available survey information for an initial assessment.
contact@pommerpartners.com