Some Household Items Are More Prone to Damage During International Shipping

If you’re planning an international move, it’s completely normal to wonder whether your belongings will arrive safely. The good news is that most items do arrive in very good condition — especially when they are professionally packed. Still, there are some household items that are simply more delicate and a little more likely to get damaged during shipping.

For example:

• Your office chair may have plastic wheels or arms that can crack under pressure.
• Mirrors, pictures, and TVs are thin and fragile, so they are naturally more vulnerable during handling and transit.
• Furniture made from particleboard, like IKEA furniture, can loosen or weaken during a move, especially if it isn’t disassembled first.
• Antique furniture may already have older joints or legs that are more sensitive to stress.
• Bookcases often have thin backing panels that can bend or crack.
• Dishes and china are usually packed very safely, but larger serving bowls and delicate pieces are still more likely to chip or break.

Of course, “more likely to be damaged” does not mean these items are usually damaged. Most shipments arrive safely. However, international shipping involves many stages — packing, loading, trucking, ocean transit, customs inspections (when requested), unloading, and final delivery — so some items naturally face higher risks than others.

This is where marine insurance becomes important.

All Risk marine insurance is designed to help protect against many types of physical damage during transit, while Total Loss insurance provides more limited protection for major disasters. Understanding which items are more vulnerable can help you make smarter decisions about:

• what to ship
• whether to purchase marine insurance
• how much insurance coverage you may need

For best results, delicate items should be professionally packed and insured at their replacement value at the destination. Self-packed boxes cannot be insured for damage.