In the summer last year, one of the world’s largest shipping groups, AP Moller-Maersk, sent a letter to each of the chief executives of the 13 members of the International Group of Protection & Indemnity Clubs.

The politely worded document, which was shown to TradeWinds by sources working closely with the protection and indemnity mutuals, detailed a series of hard-hitting recommendations on how the cartel could improve its collective business model and open it to competition.