About Amich

The Clearing House was organized in 1946 "to collect and disseminate information of a statistical or technical nature which may be helpful and useful to members ......... and to act as Secretary for any association or group created pursuant to section 29 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920".

Over the years the Clearing House has acted as Secretary for many groups: the Great Lakes Grain Association, the Coastwise, Great Lakes and Inland Hull Association, the Yacht Agreement, the Tug Syndicate etc. Today the Clearing House administers the American Cargo War Risk Reinsurance Exchange (the EXCHANGE) and the Cargo Reinsurance Association (CRA).  Both of which provide reinsurance to their respective members.

In its role as secretary, the Clearing House arranges meetings, records the decisions of the various groups, accumulates and disseminates information to members, and generally does what is asked of it by the organizations which it serves.

The Clearing House now has 10 members representing several companies who underwrite a large share of the marine business written in the United States. The affairs of the Clearing House are controlled by the Board of Managers, one third of whom are elected annually for a three year term. The Board elects a Chairman, Vice Chairman and a Finance and Audit Committee and appoints a Secretary and Treasurer to run the day to day operations.

Day to day activities consist largely of administering the policies and instructions determined by the Board of Managers and committees of the American Cargo War Risk Reinsurance Exchange and the Cargo Reinsurance Association.  It must be emphasized that the Clearing House does not make the rules, decide the rates or set the terms for any of the reinsurance activities. These things are done by the membership of either the CRA or the EXCHANGE acting through their several committees.

Because we would violate the laws under which we operate, we cannot provide rates or conditions to anyone who is not a member of a pool.

Clearing House maintains vessel registers of several of the classification societies, CRA  maintains approved vessel lists, a catalog of obscure vessels, shipping schedules, voyage records, and will generally assist its members in any way it can.