Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs CNA: How Do They Compare for Cargo and Transit Insurance?

BHSI states an up-to-$25 million maximum line and a $15,000 minimum premium for Ocean Marine Cargo. CNA describes goods covered from inland origin to final inland destination and a policyholder portal for certificates and claims agents. ^6,¹⁰

What Is Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance?

BHSI provides commercial and specialty insurance in the U.S., with product-specific industry lists that include healthcare, energy and technology. Online quote and application submissions are nonbinding. ^1,^2,^3,⁴

Read the Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance profile

Read the Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Cargo and Transit Insurance page

CNA Small Business Insurance: Products, Agents and Service

CNA directs small-business buyers to independent agents and describes CNA Connect as a businessowners policy for more than 600 small-business classes. Issuer and availability vary by policy and state, so confirm both in a quote. ^7,^8,⁹

Read the CNA profile

Read the CNA Cargo and Transit Insurance page

What Is Cargo and Transit Insurance?

Cargo coverage fits a shipper protecting goods it owns or a carrier responsible for another party’s goods. The quote needs to match who bears the loss, the shipment route and storage stops. ^11,^12,^13,¹⁴

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What Are the Key Differences Between Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and CNA Cargo and Transit Insurance?

Published Capacity Versus Published Transit Scope

BHSI states a maximum line of up to $25 million, subject to risk profile, with a $15,000 minimum premium and primary or excess positions. ⁶ CNA's sell sheet gives no limit or premium figure; it describes cover for goods moving from an inland origin through water, air and connecting transit to a final inland destination. ¹⁰

The BHSI Ocean Marine Cargo guide states up to $25 million maximum line, subject to risk profile, a $15,000 minimum premium, worldwide coverage, and primary or excess positions. ⁶Company-reported. U.S. Ocean Marine Cargo/STP marketing guide marked US-12/22-A; $25 million capacity expressly depends on risk profile. Material limitation: The document is dated 2022-12 and says multinational policy ability would follow in 2025; do not treat its worldwide wording or current availability as confirmed. Capacity is not an insured limit, and minimum premium is not a quote. Reconfirm current appetite and issuer.

Appetite Boundaries

BHSI names manufacturers and distributors of finished goods, food and beverage, bulk liquids and containerized goods as target risks, and lists pharmaceuticals, project cargo, autos and livestock as out of appetite in that guide. ⁶ CNA's sheet reviewed here lists cargo options such as domestic and foreign transit and incidental storage, not excluded industries. ¹⁰

Servicing After You Buy

CNA points to CNACargo.com for managing policies, issuing certificates and locating claims-settling agents, plus dedicated cargo claims specialists. ¹⁰ The reviewed BHSI pages describe coverage types and appetite rather than a portal or claims process. ⁵

What Should You Confirm in Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and CNA Cargo and Transit Insurance Quotes?

Ask CNA for limits and minimum premium, which its sheet does not state. ¹⁰
Ask BHSI whether your commodity sits inside its target list. ⁶
Ask both how certificates are issued and how claims are reported. ¹⁰

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and CNA Review Scores for 2026

These averages can combine ratings for different products, locations, and customer groups, including approximate BBB grade conversions. Read each review for the sources, scope, and calculation.

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Review Score

-/ 10

Review Score

No reviews found

The public ratings for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance are low but thin: Trustpilot shows 2.1 out of 5 from 9 reviews and BBB shows 1 out of 5 from 6. Both mix travel and commercial customers, so we don't count them in a score.^[5]^[7]

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CNA Review Score

9.0/ 10

Review Score

1 rated source

Customer feedback on CNA is mixed and hard to compare. NerdWallet gave it 4.5 out of 5 for manufacturers, while Trustpilot shows about 1.4 out of 5 from 49 mostly self-selected reviews.^[1]^[5]

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Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs CNA Cargo and Transit Compared

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs CNA: Cargo and Transit Insurance: documented features by provider

Criteria	BHSI’s current Ocean Marine catalog lists Ocean Cargo, Stock Throughputs and Project Cargo, separately from Inland Marine; the detailed cargo appetite evidence is an older, date-limited guide.	CNA Ocean Cargo
Who It’s For	The marine catalog names importers/exporters, freight/logistics operators and manufacturers among its target customers. ⁵Company-reported. BHSI U.S. Ocean Marine target-account list only; not Inland Marine eligibility. Material limitation: Target customer examples do not define every acceptable cargo or shipment. The Ocean Marine Cargo guide describes target risks including manufacturers/distributors of finished goods, machinery and equipment, food and beverage, bulk liquids, containerized goods, and stock with balanced exposure; it lists pharmaceuticals, project cargo, autos, DOL, and livestock as out of appetite. ⁶Company-reported. BHSI Ocean Marine Cargo/STP appetite in U.S. marketing material marked US-12/22-A. Material limitation: This is historical appetite guidance, not a policy exclusion list or current acceptance commitment. The current BHSI Marine catalog separately lists Project Cargo as an Ocean Marine product while this 2022 guide lists it out of appetite; current product-specific meaning and appetite must be reconciled with underwriting. It does not establish Inland Marine eligibility.	Confirm in your quote.
Coverage Features	BHSI's marine program lists ocean cargo, project cargo and stock-throughput coverage. ⁵Company-reported. BHSI U.S. Ocean Marine catalog; not inland transit or proof of the policy territory. Material limitation: Policy territory and transit definitions must be checked; catalog does not itself establish global scope. BHSI’s marine catalog distinguishes ocean marine and inland marine, and separately lists stock-throughput as an option. ⁵Company-reported. US BHSI catalog. Material limitation: Confirm how Spot's shared cargo-transit key maps to these distinctions before coding coverage. BHSI’s Ocean Marine Cargo overview lists stock throughput, ocean/international transit, domestic transit, excess stock, logistics, and contingent cargo coverage as coverage types available. ⁶Company-reported. BHSI U.S. Ocean Marine Cargo marketing overview marked US-12/22-A; the current marine catalog independently lists Ocean Cargo and Stock Throughputs under Ocean Marine. Material limitation: Not all types are necessarily combined or available for every insured. Domestic transit wording is not a basis to merge this line with the separately listed Inland Marine catalog. Verify current forms, exclusions, territory and issuer.	CNA Ocean Cargo describes insured goods moving from inland origin through final inland destination, including water/air and connecting transit. ¹⁰Company-reported. Entity: CNA brand; underwriting company varies Product: Ocean Cargo Jurisdiction: United States Research source scope: U.S.-marketed ocean cargo policy and related transit; issuer/state terms vary Claim limitation: Company marketing summary only; issued policy forms, underwriting, jurisdictional availability, limits, exclusions and definitions control. Source/date qualification: Ocean Cargo sheet issue 202411 / ©2024; it is a marketing summary. Worldwide portal/claims descriptions do not establish worldwide territorial coverage. CNA lists cargo options for domestic/foreign transit, incidental storage, exhibition/consignment and related extensions. ¹⁰Company-reported. Entity: CNA brand; underwriting company varies Product: Ocean Cargo Jurisdiction: United States Research source scope: U.S.-marketed ocean cargo policy and related transit; issuer/state terms vary Claim limitation: Options and applicability depend on terms and selection. Source/date qualification: Ocean Cargo sheet issue 202411 / ©2024; it is a marketing summary. Worldwide portal/claims descriptions do not establish worldwide territorial coverage.
Limits and Retentions	The BHSI Ocean Marine Cargo guide states up to $25 million maximum line, subject to risk profile, a $15,000 minimum premium, worldwide coverage, and primary or excess positions. ⁶Company-reported. U.S. Ocean Marine Cargo/STP marketing guide marked US-12/22-A; $25 million capacity expressly depends on risk profile. Material limitation: The document is dated 2022-12 and says multinational policy ability would follow in 2025; do not treat its worldwide wording or current availability as confirmed. Capacity is not an insured limit, and minimum premium is not a quote. Reconfirm current appetite and issuer.	Confirm in your quote.
Risk Services	Confirm in your quote.	CNA describes CNACargo.com for agents and Ocean Cargo policyholders to manage policies, issue certificates and locate claims-settling agents; dedicated cargo claims specialists handle claims worldwide. ¹⁰Company-reported. Entity: CNA brand; underwriting company varies Product: Ocean Cargo application and claims services Jurisdiction: United States Research source scope: U.S.-marketed ocean cargo policy and related transit; issuer/state terms vary Claim limitation: Company-reported digital/service description; availability/contract terms vary. Source/date qualification: Ocean Cargo sheet issue 202411 / ©2024; it is a marketing summary. Worldwide portal/claims descriptions do not establish worldwide territorial coverage.

Related Pages for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs CNA

Cargo and Transit Pages for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance and CNA

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Other Cargo and Transit Insurance Provider Comparisons

Sources for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance vs CNA

Sources About Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

At A Glance. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; United States section, zero-based PDF pages 49–53 (viewer pages 50–54): product/industry lists on pages 49–50; U.S. disclosure/version footer on page 53 is 2026-8-03 A. The 2026-09-14 A footer is on preceding European page 48, not the U.S. section. Accessed 2026-09-29.
About Us. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; About BHSI; company profile page re-opened through official site on 2026-09-28; company says it is part of National Indemnity group. Accessed 2026-09-28.
Terms of Service. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Important Information Concerning Use of this Web Site, paragraphs 2–4; nonbinding submissions, contracted-agent authority, state variation, product availability and policy-specific terms. Accessed 2026-09-28.
Public Disclosure — Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Singapore Branch. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Singapore branch public disclosure, Company Profile ¶¶ 1–2; direct page opened 2026-09-28. ¶ 1 identifies BHSIC as a Nebraska-domiciled direct P&C insurer; ¶ 2 states BHSIC is wholly owned by National Indemnity Company, itself wholly owned by Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated. Accessed 2026-09-28.
Marine. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Inland and ocean marine product list, covered property classes and target businesses; lines 18-69. Accessed 2026-09-28.
Ocean Marine Cargo Overview. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; Two-page U.S. marketing PDF marked US-12/22-A; product types lines 14-20; ocean marine cargo appetite, capacity and placement lines 43-57; out-of-appetite and target risk characteristics lines 58-72; terms disclaimer lines 103-114. Accessed 2026-09-28.

Sources About CNA

Insurance for Small Businesses. CNA; Insurance for Small Businesses, lines 38-50 and 65-67 (CNA Central and agent route); lines 79-106 (product and stated appetite lists); page footer line 132 (CNA registered service mark). Accessed 2026-09-28.
CNA Connect Small Businessowners Policy (BOP) | CNA Insurance. CNA; CNA Connect; coverages, product range, services. Accessed 2026-09-28.
General Disclaimer. CNA; General Disclaimer paragraphs 1 and 5 (HTML lines 24 and 28): CNA describes Continental Casualty Company and its relevant affiliates; references to CNA may include one or more CCC affiliates; each particular policy/product/service is the responsibility only of the specific CNA company that issues or supplies it. Footer line 57 identifies CNA Financial Corporation as trademark registrant. Re-read 2026-09-29. Accessed 2026-09-29.
Ocean Cargo | CNA. CNA; pp. 1–2: transit scope, extensions, agent/insured portal and cargo claims specialists. Accessed 2026-09-28.

Sources for the Cargo and Transit Insurance Guide

Commercial Insurance Guide. California Department of Insurance; Commercial Property; Inland Marine; What Should I Expect from a Broker-Agent. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Shipping Options. International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce; Export Shipping Basics; Tips on International Shipping from U.S.; Working with Freight Forwarders. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Special Documents. International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce; Insurance Certificate bullet. Accessed 2026-09-16.
Motor Truck Cargo Legal Liability Coverage. American Association of Insurance Services, Inc.; hosted by National Unity; Coverage and Property Covered pp.1–2; Perils Excluded pp.6–7; Valuation p.8; How Much We Pay p.9; Transit definition p.13. Accessed 2026-09-16.