Importer / Distributor Products Liability

Bringing goods into NZ makes you legally responsible — territory clauses decide if you're covered for export claims too.

Importing or distributing goods (electronics, hardware, supplements, consumables) places you in the legal chain of liability. NZ wording typically covers claims in NZ + Australia courts; broader territory (worldwide-excluding-USA-Canada) costs more but matters if you re-export. Consumer Guarantees Act treatment is the wording-level difference to watch.

Cover types most relevant

Products liability

Products liability covers third-party bodily injury / property damage caused by a product you supplied, manufactured, imported or installed. Sits inside most public liability wordings but the carve-outs (efficacy, financial loss, recall) differ by insurer.
Public liability

Public liability (sometimes "broadform" or "general liability") covers third-party bodily injury and property damage arising from your business activities. NZ commercial wordings vary materially on the products-liability bundle, the "occurrence" definition, contractual-liability extensions and the territorial limit.

Refining for your situation

Do you re-export to other markets? — affects how we weight matching clauses

Watch out for

USA: Almost all NZ wordings exclude US claims. Sell into the US? You likely need a US-domiciled supplementary cover.
CGA: Consumer Guarantees Act claims for repair/replace/refund sit outside PL/products — they're contract-law, not liability cover.

Importer / Distributor Products Liability

Cover types most relevant

Refining for your situation

Watch out for

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