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.
Distressed cargo · Worldwide
Distressed Cargo Buyers
& Salvage Specialists
Pommer & Partners provides worldwide solutions for distressed, damaged, rejected, off-specification and abandoned cargo.
We work with shipowners, P&I Clubs, insurers, surveyors, cargo interests and other maritime professionals to achieve the best commercially reasonable recovery while helping release vessels, containers, terminals and storage facilities as quickly as practicable.
We may buy cargo as principal or, under a separately agreed mandate from authorised cargo interests, coordinate structured salvage sales, remarketing or recovery and disposal. The relevant role, authority and commercial terms are defined before engagement, according to the cargo, location, legal position and economics of the individual case.
Bulk agricultural parcels refused at destination are dealt with in detail under rejected grain and agricultural bulk cargo.
Who we work with
- 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
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.
What we handle
Not limited to one commodity group.
Pommer & Partners evaluates cargo across bulk, bagged, palletised, containerised and warehouse stocks. The following examples are indicative, not exhaustive.
01
Agricultural Commodities & Animal Feed
- Maize / Corn
- Wheat
- Barley
- Rice
- Soy products
- Feed ingredients
- Vegetable oils
- Other agricultural commodities
02
Chemicals & Industrial Raw Materials
- Industrial chemicals
- Minerals
- Fertilisers
- Polymer raw materials
- Plastic materials
- Off-specification industrial products
03
Food & Food Ingredients
- Packaged food
- Bulk food ingredients
- Oils and fats
- Temperature-affected cargo
- Rejected food cargo
04
Metals & Minerals
- Mineral raw materials
- Metal products
- Industrial minerals
- Contaminated or off-specification bulk cargo
05
General Cargo
- Consumer products
- Machinery
- Packaged goods
- Containerised cargo
- Abandoned containers
- Warehouse and insolvency stocks
If your commodity is not listed, contact us. We evaluate cargo individually.
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.
Residual Cargo on Board? We Buy It. You Move Forward.
Remaining, rejected or distressed cargo can occupy a valuable hold and disrupt the next loading. Pommer & Partners evaluates direct purchase on an AS IS, WHERE IS basis and practical takeover arrangements case by case.
Explore Our Residual Cargo Solutions →International capability
Worldwide Cargo Solutions
Our network enables us to evaluate cargo across Europe, the Mediterranean, Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas.
Pommer & Partners International Trading Limited is registered in Ireland and works through an established international network of buyers, processors and service providers. We distinguish clearly between our own company locations and that network — we do not maintain offices in every country in which we handle cases.
Region
Europe
Region
Mediterranean
Region
Middle East
Region
Africa
Region
Asia
Region
Americas
No Cure – No Pay
Depending on the assignment, Pommer & Partners may act as principal buyer, manage a salvage sale or coordinate commercial recovery. Selected assignments may be undertaken on a No Cure, No Pay basis, subject to the agreed terms.
Distressed cargo explained
What Qualifies as Distressed Cargo?
Cargo is distressed when its original sale, delivery or intended use can no longer proceed as planned. Common causes include physical or water damage, contamination, off-specification results, rejection at destination, refusal by the consignee, abandonment, customs detention, insolvency of a party in the chain or prolonged delay. The cargo may still have substantial commercial value elsewhere.
What Commercial Recovery Options Are Available for Distressed Cargo?
The realistic options are, in order of preference: sale in the original market after reconditioning or segregation, sale to an alternative buyer or market, direct purchase by a principal buyer, managed salvage sale, industrial or material recovery where legally permissible, and compliant disposal only where no viable recovery route remains.
How Is the Net Recovery Value of Distressed Cargo Determined?
Net recovery value is the realistic sale proceeds minus every cost needed to achieve them: storage, terminal and handling charges, demurrage and detention, survey and laboratory fees, customs costs, onward transport and any reconditioning. A lower gross price that ends these costs quickly can produce a better net result than a higher offer that takes weeks to complete.
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 how Pommer & Partners buys distressed cargo as principal.
- Can rejected cargo be resold?
- Often, but not always. Resale depends on cargo condition, laboratory results, title, customs status, sanctions position and local law. Where resale is not possible, recovery, recycling or compliant disposal may be the realistic route.
- 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 on agreed contractual terms. A purchase does not by itself release obligations owed to carriers, terminals, authorities or other third parties.
- 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.
- What happens if the cargo has no commercial value?
- Where no market remains, the realistic routes are recycling, material or energy recovery where legally permitted, destruction under supervision, or compliant disposal — coordinated with the aim of freeing the vessel, container, terminal or warehouse. Release itself depends on the carrier, terminal or authority concerned and on separate arrangements. Read more about cargo recovery and recycling.
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.
Abandoned Cargo Buyers
Worldwide buyers of abandoned, unclaimed and stranded cargo.
Abandoned Container Cargo
Solutions for cargo inside abandoned and unclaimed containers.
Unclaimed Cargo
Shipments never collected or claimed by the consignee.
Refused Cargo Buyers
Consignments refused on arrival by receivers or authorities.
Marine Cargo Salvage
Salvage sales and cargo recovery at sea and in port.
Rejected & Off-Spec Cargo
Solutions for rejected and off-specification consignments.
Damaged Cargo Buyers
Wet, contaminated and heat-affected consignments.
Agricultural Commodities
Distressed grain, feed and vegetable oils.
Distressed Agricultural Cargo
Damaged, rejected and off-spec agricultural commodity salvage.
Damaged Grain & Corn Salvage
Grain, corn and maize cargo damaged or rejected at destination.
Red Sea & Middle East Recovery
Cargo recovery across the Red Sea, Gulf and East Africa.
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
Have distressed cargo requiring a solution?
Send us the cargo details, location, quantity, condition and available survey information for an initial assessment.
contact@pommerpartners.com