The primary objective of a marine insurance policy is to protect your finances and assets while they are being transported via sea. However, different insurance companies offer multiple types of marine insurance policies. Due to this reason, there is no standard list of risks against which every marine insurance will provide protection. Though most marine insurance policies do provide cover against damages or losses to expensive cargo, some policies may while some may not provide extended cover against cross border civil disturbances or against pirates. Following is a list of some of the common instances or losses which marine insurance provides cover against:

1. Import or export shipments.
2. Goods which are being transported via sea, rail, air, road or post.
3. Goods being transported by coastal vessels which ply between different ports inside the country.
4. Goods which are transported via vessels plying along rivers.